UJoshuwa 22

22 ¹UJoshuwa wabe esebiza abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase, ²wathi kubo: “Nikugcinile konke uMose inceku kaBaba wethu anilaya khona, nalalela izwi lami kukho konke enganiyala ngakho. ³Anizange nibashiye abafowenu kuzo zonke lezi zinsuku eziningi, kuze kube namuhla, kodwa nagcina umsebenzi womyalo kaBaba wenu. ⁴Manje uBaba wenu usebaphumuzile abafowenu, njengoba ethembisile. Ngakho buyelani emathendeni enu, ezweni enilidlayo, uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, aninika lona ngaphesheya kweJordani. ⁵Kodwa qaphelani kakhulu ukwenza umyalo nomthetho uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, anilaya khona: thandani uBaba wenu, nihambe ngazo zonke izindlela zakhe, nigcine imiyalo yakhe, ninamathele kuye, nimkhonze ngenhliziyo yenu yonke nangomphefumulo wenu wonke.”

⁶UJoshuwa wabe esebabusisa wabamukisa, base beya emathendeni abo. ⁷UMose wayenike inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ifa eBashani; kweyinye inxenye uJoshuwa wayinika ifa kanye nabafowabo ngasentshonalanga yeJordani. Lapho uJoshuwa ebamukisela emakhaya emathendeni abo, wababusisa. ⁸Wathi kubo: “Buyelani emakhaya ninomcebo omkhulu—imfuyo eminingi, isiliva, igolide, ithusi, insimbi, nezingubo eziningi. Yabelanani nabafowenu impango yezitha zenu.”

I-Altare Lokufakazela uBaba Wabo

⁹Base bebuya abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase besuka kuma-Israyeli eShilo eseKhanani, baya eGileyadi, ifa labo, bazinza khona ngomyalo kaBaba wethu ngesandla sikaMose. ¹⁰Befika esifundeni seJordani eseKhanani, abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakha i-altare khona ngaseJordani—i-altare elikhulu ngobungako. ¹¹Ama-Israyeli ezwa: “Bhekani, abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakhe i-altare libhekene neKhanani, esifundeni seJordani, ngasohlangothini luka-Israyeli.” ¹²Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bekuzwa, lonke ibandla labantu bakwa-Israyeli labuthana eShilo ukuyobahlasela ngempi. ¹³Ama-Israyeli athumela uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi kubakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase eGileyadi, ¹⁴kanye naye izikhulu eziyishumi, sinye endlini nganye yabokhokho, esuka kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli, yilowo nalowo eyinhloko yendlu yabokhokho bakhe phakathi kwemindeni yakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁵Bafika kubakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni laseGileyadi bathi kubo: ¹⁶“Lonke ibandla likaBaba wethu liyabuza: ‘Buphi lobu bukhohlisi obumelene noBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli—ukuphenduka namuhla niyeke ukumlandela, nizakhela i-altare namuhla ukuze nimvukele? ¹⁷Isono sasePheyori besingasanele yini? Asizihlambululanga kuso kuze kube namuhla, nakuba isifo sawushaya umhlangano kaBaba wethu, ¹⁸ukuthi kufanele niphenduke namuhla niyeke ukulandela uBaba wethu? Uma nimvukela namuhla, kusasa uyothukuthelela wonke umhlangano wakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁹Kodwa uma izwe lefa lenu lingcolile, welelani ezweni lefa likaBaba wethu, lapho itabernakele lakhe lihlala khona, nithathe ifa phakathi kwethu. Kodwa ningamvukeli uBaba wethu, ningasidonseli ekuvukeleni kanye nani, ngokuzakhela i-altare elingaphandle kwe-altare likaBaba wethu. ²⁰U-Akani indodana kaZera akazange yini enze ngokungathembeki ngezinto ezingcwelisiweyo, waletha ulaka kuwo wonke umphakathi wakwa-Israyeli? Akuyena yedwa owafela leso icala.’”

²¹AbakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase baphendula izinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli. ²²“USomandla, uBaba wethu! USomandla, uBaba wethu! Uyazi, futhi makwazi u-Israyeli uqobo! Uma kungokuvukela noma kungokungathembeki okumelene noBaba wethu, ungasixoleli namuhla, ²³ukuthi sakha i-altare lethu ukuze siphenduke siyeke ukulandela uBaba wethu, noma ukuze sinikele kulo iminikelo yokushiswa, eyokudla, noma eyokuthula—uBaba wethu ngokwakhe makasibuze ngakho!

²⁴Kunalokho, sakwenza lokhu ngokwesaba ukuthi ngelinye ilanga abantwana benu bangase bathi kwabethu: ‘Ninabudlelwano buni noBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli? ²⁵Ngokuba uBaba wethu wenza iJordani umngcele phakathi kwethu nani, bakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi—aninasabelo kuye.’ Kanjalo abantwana benu bangase bavimbe abantwana bethu ekwesabeni uBaba wethu. ^a a v25 Ukwesaba okujulile kwezizwe zasempumalanga kwakungekhona okomhlaba kodwa okokuba ngabakhe—ukuthi ngelinye ilanga abantwana babo babeyotshelwa ukuthi abanasabelo kuBaba. Yonke le mpikiswano empeleni imayelana nokuthi ngubani osengowakhe.

²⁶Ngakho sathi: ‘Masizakhele i-altare, hhayi elomnikelo wokushiswa nelomhlatshelo, ²⁷kodwa ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani, nezizukulwane zethu ezizayo emva kwethu, ukuthi sikhonza uBaba wethu phambi kwakhe ngeminikelo yokushiswa, imihlatshelo, neminikelo yokuthula—ukuze abantwana benu bangasho kwabethu ngelinye ilanga ukuthi: “Aninasabelo kuBaba wethu.” ’

²⁸Sacabanga sathi: uma bake basho lokhu kithi noma ezizukulwaneni zethu ezizayo, besiyophendula sithi: ‘Bhekani isifaniso se-altare likaBaba wethu okhokho bethu abalenzayo—hhayi elomnikelo wokushiswa noma umhlatshelo, kodwa ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani.’

²⁹Akungeke neze simvukele uBaba wethu noma siphenduke siyeke ukumlandela namuhla ngokwakha i-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, iminikelo yokudla, noma imihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwe-altare likaBaba wethu eliphambi kwendawo yakhe yokuhlala!”

³⁰Lapho uFinehasi umpristi, abaholi bomphakathi, nezinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli ababenaye bekuzwa lokho okwakushiwo abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nabakwaManase, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo. ³¹UFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi wathi kubakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nabakwaManase: “Namuhla siyazi ukuthi uBaba wethu uphakathi kwethu, lokhu ningamkhaphelanga ngale ndlela. Manje senisindisile abantu bakwa-Israyeli esandleni sikaBaba wethu.” ³²UFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi, nabaholi, bashiya abakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi eGileyadi babuyela eKhanani, ku-Israyeli, bababikela. ³³Umbiko waba muhle emehlweni ama-Israyeli, ama-Israyeli ambusisa uBaba wethu, ayeka ukuya empini ukuyobahlasela ukuchitha izwe ababehlala kulo abakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi. ³⁴AbakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi baliqamba i-altare ngokuthi nguFakazi, bathi: “Ngokuba,” basho, “lingubufakazi phakathi kwethu bokuthi uBaba wethu unguNkulunkulu.”