UJoshuwa 24

24 ¹UJoshuwa wabuthela zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli eShekemi, wabiza abadala bayo, izinhloko, abahluleli, nezinduna zabo, bema phambi kukaBaba wethu.

²UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Nakhu akushoyo uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wakwa-Israyeli: ‘Endulo okhokho benu babehlala ngaphesheya koMfula i-Yufrathe—uThera, uyise ka-Abrahama noNahori—bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu.’ ³Ngamthatha uyihlo u-Abrahama ngaphesheya koMfula, ngamhola kulo lonke izwe laseKhanani, ngandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamnika u-Isaka. ⁴U-Isaka ngamnika uJakobe no-Esawu, u-Esawu ngamnika iNtaba iSeyiri ukuba abe nayo, kodwa uJakobe namadodana akhe behlela eGibhithe.

⁵‘Ngathuma uMose no-Aroni, ngayishaya iGibhithe ngalokho engakwenza phakathi kwabo, ngase nginikhipha nina.’ ⁶Ngabakhipha okhokho benu eGibhithe; nafika olwandle. AmaGibhithe axosha okhokho benu ngezinqola nangabamahhashi kuze kufike oLwandle Olubomvu. ⁷Lapho bekhala kimi, ngabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu namaGibhithe, ngaletha ulwandle phezu kwabo, ngabasibekela. Amehlo enu abona lokho engakwenza eGibhithe. Nabe senihlala ehlane isikhathi eside.

⁸‘Nganiletha ezweni lama-Amori ngaphesheya kweJordani. Balwa nani; ngabanikela ezandleni zenu, nalithatha izwe labo. Ngababhubhisa phambi kwenu. ⁹Wase evuka uBalaki indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, walwa no-Israyeli. Wathumela wabiza uBhalamu indodana kaBeyori ukuba aniqalekise, ¹⁰kodwa angizange ngimlalele uBhalamu, ngakho wanibusisa kaningi, nganinophula esandleni sakhe.

¹¹Nawela iJordani naya eJeriko. Izakhamizi zalo zalwa nani—ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaKhanani, amaHeti, amaGirigashi, amaHivi, namaJebusi—kodwa ngabanikela ezandleni zenu. ¹²Ngathumela umnyovu phambi kwenu; waxosha amakhosi amabili ama-Amori phambi kwenu—hhayi ngenkemba yenu noma ngomnsalo wenu. ¹³Nganinika izwe eningazange nilisebenzele, imizi eningazange niyakhe—nihlala kuyo; nidla ezivinini nasezihlahleni zeminqumo eningazange niyitshale.’

¹⁴Manje-ke, mesabeni uBaba wethu, nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangokwethembeka. Susani onkulunkulu okhokho benu ababebakhonza ngaphesheya koMfula naseGibhithe, nikhonze uBaba wethu. ¹⁵Kodwa uma ukukhonza uBaba wethu kubonakala kubi kini, zikhetheleni namuhla lowo enizomkhonza—onkulunkulu okhokho benu ababebakhonza ngaphesheya koMfula, noma onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni labo. Kodwa mina nendlu yami, siyakukhonza uBaba wethu.”

¹⁶Abantu baphendula bathi: “Akusoze kwenzeke ukuba simshiye uBaba wethu sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu. ¹⁷Ngokuba uBaba wethu wasikhuphula thina nokhokho bethu ezweni laseGibhithe, endlini yobugqila, wenza lezi zibonakaliso ezinkulu phambi kwamehlo ethu. Wasilonda kuyo yonke indlela esahamba ngayo, naphakathi kwazo zonke izizwe esadabula kuzo. ¹⁸UBaba wethu waxosha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, nama-Amori ayehlala ezweni. Nathi siyakumkhonza, ngokuba unguBaba wethu.”

¹⁹UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Ngeke nikwazi ukukhonza uBaba wethu—unguNkulunkulu ongcwele, uNkulunkulu onomhawu. Ngeke akuthethelele ukuhlubuka kwenu nezono zenu. ²⁰Uma nimshiya uBaba wethu nikhonze onkulunkulu bezizwe, uyakuphenduka, anenze okubi, aniqede, emva kokuba enenzele okuhle.”

²¹Kodwa abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Cha! Siyakukhonza uBaba wethu.”

²²UJoshuwa wayesethi kubantu: “Ningofakazi kini ngokwenu ukuthi nikhethe uBaba wethu, ukuba nimkhonze.” “Singofakazi,” basho.

²³“Manje-ke susani onkulunkulu bezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, niphendulele izinhliziyo zenu kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wakwa-Israyeli.”

²⁴Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Siyakukhonza uBaba wethu, silalele izwi lakhe.”

²⁵UJoshuwa wenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolo suku, wabanika isimiso nomthetho eShekemi. ²⁶UJoshuwa wawaloba lawa mazwi eNcwadini yoMthetho kaBaba wethu, wabe esethatha itshe elikhulu, walimisa khona ngaphansi kwesihlahla sama-oki eceleni kwendlu engcwele kaBaba wethu.

²⁷UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Bhekani, leli tshe liyakuba ngufakazi kithi, ngokuba lizwile wonke amazwi uBaba wethu awakhuluma kithi. Liyakuba ngufakazi kini, ukuze ningamphiki uBaba wenu.” ²⁸UJoshuwa wase ebamukisa abantu, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.

UJoshuwa, inceku kaBaba, uyaphumula

²⁹Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaBaba wethu, wafa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi. ³⁰Bammbela efeni lakhe eThimnathi-sera, ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, enyakatho yeNtaba iGahashi. ³¹U-Israyeli wakhonza uBaba wethu zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa, nazo zonke izinsuku zabadala abaphila emva kwakhe nabawazi wonke umsebenzi uBaba wethu awenzela u-Israyeli. ³²Amathambo kaJosefa, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababewakhuphule eGibhithe, bawambela eShekemi, esiqeshini somhlaba uJakobe asithenga kumadodana kaHamori, uyise kaShekemi, ngezinhlamvu zesiliva eziyikhulu—saba yifa labantwana bakaJosefa. ³³U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa, bammbela eGibheya, elalinikwe uFinehasi indodana yakhe ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi.