Isono Esifihliweyo Siletha Ukunqotshwa e-Ayi
I-Ayi ixosha ibutho elincane lika-Israyeli, futhi isibindi sesizwe siyaphela. Ukukhononda kukaJoshuwa kuthola impendulo eqondile kuBaba wethu: othile untshontshe okwakunikelwe. U-Akhani uyavuma ukuthi wabona, wafisa, wathatha, wafihla — futhi yena nakho konke okungokwakhe kubhujiswa esigodini.
7 1U-Israyeli waba nokungathembeki ngalokho okwakunikelwe ekubhujisweni: u-Akhani indodana kaKarmi, indodana kaZabdi, indodana kaZera, wesizwe sakwaJuda, wathatha okunye kwakho. Ngakho intukuthelo kaBaba wethu yavuthela u-Israyeli. a a v1 Lapho okuthile ‘kunikelwe ekubhujisweni,’ kwakuthathwa kuphelele nguNkulunkulu — akekho owayevunyelwe ukugcina ingxenye yako azigcinele yona. 2UJoshuwa wathuma amadoda esuka eJeriko aya e-Ayi, eduze neBeti-aveni, empumalanga yeBethele, wathi: “Khuphukani niyohlola izwe.” Akhuphuka ahlola i-Ayi.
3Abuyela athi kuJoshuwa: “Akudingeki ukuba bonke bakhuphuke. Thuma amadoda angaba yizinkulungwane ezimbili noma ezintathu ukuba ahlasele i-Ayi; ungabadinisi bonke abantu—bambalwa.” 4Ngakho kwakhuphuka abantu abangaba yizinkulungwane ezintathu, kodwa babaleka phambi kwamadoda ase-Ayi. 5Amadoda ase-Ayi abulala kubo abangamashumi amathathu nesithupha, awaxosha kusukela esangweni kuze kube semigodini yamatshe, awashaya emmango owehlayo. Izinhliziyo zabantu zancibilika, zaphenduka amanzi. 6UJoshuwa waklebhula izingubo zakhe wawa ngobuso emhlabathini phambi komphongolo kaBaba wethu kwaze kwahlwa, yena namadoda amadala ka-Israyeli, bathela uthuli emakhanda abo. 7UJoshuwa wathi: “Awu, Baba oyiNkosi, wawuwawelelani lesi sizwe ngaphesheya kweJordani, ukuze nje usinikele kuma-Amori ukuba asibhubhise? Sengathi ngabe sanelisekile ukuhlala ngaphesheya kweJordani! 8Ngiyacela, Baba oyiNkosi, ngingathini na, njengoba u-Israyeli esephendukile wabalekela izitha zakhe? 9AmaKhanani nabo bonke abahlala kuleli zwe bayokuzwa, basizungeze, besule igama lethu emhlabeni. Pho uyokwenzani ngegama lakho elikhulu?”
10UBaba wethu wathi kuJoshuwa: “Sukuma! Uweleni ngobuso bakho?
11“U-Israyeli wonile, waphula isivumelwano sami engabayala ngaso. Bathathe okunye kwezinto ezinikelwe ekubhujisweni, beba, baqamba amanga, bakufaka phakathi kwempahla yabo. 12Ngakho u-Israyeli ngeke eme phambi kwezitha zakhe—baphendula imihlane yabo phambi kwazo, ngokuba sebenikelwe ekubhujisweni. Ngeke ngiphinde ngibe nani ngaphandle kokuba nibhubhise lokho okunikelwe ekubhujisweni phakathi kwenu. 13Sukuma! Ngcwelisa abantu. Uthi kubo: Zingcweliseni kusasa, ngokuba uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Kukhona izinto ezinikelwe ekubhujisweni phakathi kwenu, Israyeli. Ngeke nikwazi ukuma niqondene nezitha zenu nize nizisuse.
14“Ekuseni niyosondela ngezizwe. Isizwe uBaba wethu asikhethayo siyosondela ngemindeni; umndeni awukhethayo uyosondela ngezindlu; indlu ayikhethayo iyosondela ngabantu ngabanye. 15Noma ngubani obanjwa nezinto ezinikelwe ekubhujisweni uyoshiswa ngomlilo—yena nakho konke anakho—ngoba ephule isivumelwano sikaBaba wethu, wenza into ehlazisayo kwa-Israyeli.”
16UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu wasondeza u-Israyeli ngezizwe; kwakhethwa isizwe sakwaJuda. 17Wasondeza imindeni yakwaJuda; kwathathwa umndeni wakwaZera. Wasondeza umndeni wakwaZera, indlu ngendlu; kwathathwa uZabdi. 18UJoshuwa wasondeza indlu yakhe, umuntu ngamunye, kwabanjwa u-Akhani indodana kaKarmi, indodana kaZabdi, indodana kaZera, wesizwe sakwaJuda. 19UJoshuwa wathi ku-Akhani: “Ndodana yami, nika uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, inkazimulo, umdumise. Ngitshele manje ukuthi wenzeni—ungakufihli kimi.”
20U-Akhani waphendula uJoshuwa wathi: “Ngempela, ngonile kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Yilokhu engikwenzile: 21Phakathi kwempango ngabona ingubo enhle yaseShinari, isiliva esingamaphawundi amahlanu, nenduku yegolide esinda cishe amaphawundi angu-1.2. Ngazifisa ngazithatha; zifihlwe phansi etendeni lami, isiliva singaphansi.”
22UJoshuwa wathuma izithunywa; zagijimela etendeni zafica kufihliwe etendeni lakhe, isiliva singaphansi. 23Zazithatha phakathi etendeni, zaziletha kuJoshuwa nakubo bonke abantwana baka-Israyeli, zazibeka phambi kukaBaba wethu. 24UJoshuwa no-Israyeli wonke bathatha u-Akhani indodana kaZera, isiliva, ingubo, induku yegolide, amadodana akhe, amadodakazi akhe, izinkomo zakhe, izimbongolo zakhe, izimvu zakhe, itende lakhe, nakho konke ayenakho, bakukhuphulela esiGodini sase-Akhori. 25UJoshuwa wathi: “Usikhathazeleni? UBaba wethu uyokukhathaza namuhla.” U-Israyeli wonke wamkhanda u-Akhani ngamatshe, wabashisa ngomlilo, wabakhanda ngamatshe. 26Bamnqwabela inqwaba enkulu yamatshe phezu kwakhe, ekhona kuze kube namuhla. UBaba wethu wabe esebuya ekuvutheni kolaka lwakhe. Ngakho leyo ndawo ibizwa ngokuthi isiGodi sase-Akhori kuze kube namuhla. b b v26 ‘Akhori’ kusho ‘inkathazo’ — isigodi saqanjwa ngaleli gama ukuze kukhunjulwe inhlekelele isono sika-Akhani esayiletha ku-Israyeli.
