UJoshuwa Umema U-Israyeli Ukuba Abambelele Ngokuqinile
UJoshuwa, osekhulile, uqoqa abaholi futhi isixwayiso sakhe asigcine silula: bambelelani, ningashadisani nezizwe ezisele noma nonkulunkulu bazo. Ukhuluma ngalokho akubonile — akukho nasinye isithembiso sikaBaba wethu esahluleka — futhi uthi namazwi okubi ayoba ngathembekile ngokufanayo.
23 1Emva kwesikhathi eside uBaba wethu esemnike u-Israyeli ukuphumula kuzo zonke izitha zabo ezazibazungezile, uJoshuwa wayesemdala, eneminyaka eminingi. 2UJoshuwa wabiza wonke u-Israyeli—amalunga amadala, izinhloko, abehluleli, nezikhulu—wathi: “Sengimdala, sengineminyaka eminingi. 3Nibonile konke uBaba wenu akwenzile kuzo zonke lezi zizwe ngenxa yenu; uBaba wenu wanilwela. 4Bhekani, ngininikele lezi zizwe ezisele zibe yifa lezizwe zenu, kanye nazo zonke izizwe engase ngazinquma, kusukela eJordani kuze kuyofika oLwandle Olukhulu entshonalanga. 5UBaba wenu yena uqobo uzozisunduza azixoshe phambi kwenu, nina nizolidla ifa lezwe lazo, njengoba uBaba wenu anithembisa.
6Yibani nesibindi kakhulu ukuba nigcine futhi nenze konke okulotshiwe encwadini yomthetho kaMose, ningaphambuki kuwo niye ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo. 7Ningahlangani nalezi zizwe ezisele phakathi kwenu. Ningawaphathi amagama awonkulunkulu bazo, ningafungi ngabo; ningabakhonzi, ningabakhothameli. 8Kodwa bambelelani kuBaba wenu, njengoba nenzile kuze kube namuhla.
9UBaba wenu uxoshile izizwe ezinkulu nezinamandla phambi kwenu; akekho oke wamelana nani kuze kube namuhla. 10Oyedwa kini uxosha abayinkulungwane, ngokuba uBaba wenu yena uqobo uyanilwela, njengoba anithembisa. 11Ngakho ziqapheleni kahle, ukuba nithande uBaba wenu. 12Kodwa uma niphenduka nibambelela kulezi zizwe ezisele phakathi kwenu, nishadiselane nazo, nixubane nazo nazo zixubane nani, 13yazini kahle ukuthi uBaba wenu ngeke esazixosha lezi zizwe phambi kwenu. Ziyoba ngugibe nesifu kini, isiswebhu ezinhlangothini zenu nameva emehlweni enu, nize nibhubhe kuleli zwe elihle uBaba wenu aninike lona.
14Manje sengihamba indlela yabo bonke abasemhlabeni. Niyazi ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu nangawo wonke umphefumulo wenu ukuthi akukho nokukodwa kuzo zonke izinto ezinhle uBaba wenu anithembisa zona okwahlulekayo—konke kufezekile kini; akukho nokukodwa okwahlulekayo. 15Njengoba lonke izwi elihle uBaba wenu analikhuluma kini lafezeka, kanjalo uyonehlisela zonke izinto ezilimazayo, aze anibhubhise kuleli zwe elihle aninike lona. 16Uma niseqa isivumelwano sikaBaba wenu aniyala ngaso, nihambe niyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu nibakhothamele, intukuthelo kaBaba wenu iyovutha kini, niyabhujiswa ngokushesha kuleli zwe elihle aninike lona.”
