UBaba Unikela i-Ayi ku-Israyeli
UBaba wethu unikela i-Ayi okwesibili, ngokuqamekela nangokwenza sengathi bayabaleka, futhi inkosi yayo iyalengiswa. Bese, kubekwe ngendlela emangalisayo phakathi kwezimpi, ibandla lonke — kuhlanganise nabafokazi — lime ezintabeni ezimbili ngenkathi lonke izwi lomthetho, isibusiso nesiqalekiso, lifundwa ngokuzwakalayo.
8 1UBaba wethu wasethi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi, ungapheli amandla. Thatha wonke amadoda empi uhambe nawo, wenyukele e-Ayi. Ngikunikele inkosi yase-Ayi, nabantu bayo, nomuzi wayo, nezwe layo. 2Yenza e-Ayi nasenkosini yayo njengoba wenza eJeriko nasenkosini yayo; kodwa amaxhoba nezinkomo zakhona nizozigcinela zona. Beka abacathami ngemuva komuzi.”
3UJoshuwa nawo wonke amadoda empi basuka benyukela e-Ayi. Wakhetha amaqhawe anamandla angu-30 000, wawathuma ebusuku. 4Wawayala wathi: “Nicathame ngemuva komuzi, ningabi kude kakhulu nawo. Nina nonke, hlalani niqaphile. 5Mina nabantu bami bonke sizosondela emuzini. Kuyothi lapho bephuma beza kithi njengakuqala, sibalekele phambi kwabo. 6Bazophuma basilandele size sibadonse sibasuse emuzini, ngokuba bazothi, ‘Bayabaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala.’ Ngalokho sizobabalekela. 7Nivuke lapho benicathame khona, niwuthathe umuzi, ngokuba uYihlo uzowunikela ezandleni zenu. 8Lapho senithathe umuzi, niwuthungele ngomlilo. Yenzani njengokuyala kukaBaba wethu. Bhekani—nginiyalile.”
9UJoshuwa wawathuma, ahamba aya endaweni yokucathama, alinda phakathi kweBhetheli ne-Ayi, ngasentshonalanga ye-Ayi; kepha yena wachitha lobo busuku phakathi kwabantu. 10UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabutha abantu, wakhuphukela nabo e-Ayi kanye namadoda amadala akwa-Israyeli. 11Wonke amadoda empi ayenaye asuka, aqhubeka aze aqondana ncamashi nomuzi, amisa ngasenyakatho ye-Ayi; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwawo ne-Ayi. 12Wathatha cishe amadoda angu-5 000, wawamisa ukuba acathame phakathi kweBhetheli ne-Ayi, ngasentshonalanga yomuzi. 13Ngakho bamisa abantu—lonke ikamu ngasenyakatho yomuzi, nabaqaphi bangemuva ngasentshonalanga yawo—kepha ngalobo busuku uJoshuwa wehlela phakathi nesigodi. 14Kwathi inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokhu, amadoda omuzi avuka ngovivi aphuthuma aphuma ukuba ahlangabeze u-Israyeli empini, endaweni emisiweyo ebhekene ne-Araba—yona nabantu bayo bonke. Yayingazi ukuthi kukhona abacathemeyo ngemuva komuzi. a a v14 I-Araba yigebe elijulile lesigodi saseJordani, elehla ngaseningizimu lisuka oLwandle lwaseGalile liye oLwandle Olufile. 15UJoshuwa nawo wonke u-Israyeli benza sengathi bayahlulwa, babalekela ehlane. 16Bonke abantu ababesemuzini babizwa ukuba basukele; basukela uJoshuwa, badonseleka kude nomuzi. 17Akusalanga ndoda e-Ayi naseBhetheli engaphumanga ukusukela u-Israyeli; bawushiya umuzi uvulekile, basukela u-Israyeli.
18UBaba wethu wasethi kuJoshuwa: “Yelula umkhonto osesandleni sakho ube ngase-Ayi—ngizowunikela esandleni sakho.” UJoshuwa wasewelula umkhonto owawusesandleni sakhe ube ngasemuzini.
19Kwathi nje lapho ephakamisa isandla sakhe, abacathemeyo basukuma masinyane endaweni yabo, bagijimela emuzini, bawuthatha, bashesha bawuthungela ngomlilo. 20Amadoda ase-Ayi aphenduka abona intuthu yomuzi yenyukela esibhakabhakeni, engasenandawo yokubalekela, ngokuba ababebalekela ehlane base bephendukela abaxoshi babo. 21Kwathi uJoshuwa nawo wonke u-Israyeli bebona ukuthi abacathemeyo sebewuthumbile umuzi, nokuthi intuthu yawo iyenyuka, baphenduka babulala amadoda ase-Ayi. 22Abanye baphuma emuzini ukuba babahlangabeze, ngakho amadoda ase-Ayi avaleleka phakathi kuka-Israyeli ngezinhlangothi zombili. U-Israyeli wawabulala kwaze akwasala noyedwa osindayo nophunyukayo. 23Kepha inkosi yase-Ayi bayibamba iphila, bayiletha kuJoshuwa.
24Kwathi u-Israyeli eseqedile ukubulala bonke abahlali base-Ayi endle nasehlane lapho ababebaxoshela khona, bonke sebewile ngenkemba kwaze akwasala noyedwa, wonke u-Israyeli wabuyela e-Ayi, wawushaya ngenkemba. 25Bonke abawa ngalolo suku, abesilisa nabesifazane, babengu-12 000—bonke abantu base-Ayi. 26UJoshuwa akazange asehlise isandla sakhe ebambe umkhonto, waze wababhubhisa nya bonke abahlali base-Ayi. 27U-Israyeli wazigcinela kuphela izinkomo namaxhoba alowo muzi, njengokuba uBaba wethu wayala uJoshuwa. 28Ngakho uJoshuwa wayishisa i-Ayi, wayenza inqwaba yamanxiwa kuze kube phakade, incithakalo kuze kube namuhla. 29Wayilengisa inkosi yase-Ayi esihlahleni kwaze kwahlwa. Ekushoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa wayala ukuba isidumbu sayo sehliswe, silahlwe ngasesangweni lomuzi, kwaqwetshwa phezu kwaso inqwaba enkulu yamatshe—esekhona nanamuhla.
U-Israyeli Uvuselela Isivumelwano SikaBaba
30Khona-ke uJoshuwa wakhela uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, i-altare entabeni i-Ebali, 31njengokuba uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, wayeyale abantwana bakwa-Israyeli—njengoba kulotshiwe encwadini yomthetho kaMose—i-altare lamatshe angabaziwe, angathintwanga ngensimbi. Phezu kwalo banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuBaba wethu, bahlaba neminikelo yokuthula. 32Lapho, phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabhala ematsheni ikhophi yomthetho kaMose, awubhalayo uMose. 33Wonke u-Israyeli—owezizwe nowokuzalwa khona ngokufanayo—kanye namadoda amadala, nezinduna, nabahluleli, bema ngezinhlangothi zombili zomphongolo, bebhekene nabapristi abangamaLevi ababephethe umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaBaba wethu. Uhhafu wabheka intaba iGerizimu, uhhafu wabheka intaba i-Ebali, njengokuba uMose inceku kaBaba wethu ayeyale kuqala, ukuba babusise abantu bakwa-Israyeli. 34Emva kwalokho wawafunda wonke amazwi omthetho—isibusiso nesiqalekiso—ncamashi njengoba kulotshiwe encwadini yomthetho. 35Akukho zwi kuwo wonke uMose ayewayalile uJoshuwa angazange alifunde—kungasalanga lutho—phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli: abesifazane, nabantwana, nabezizwe ababehlala phakathi kwabo.
