UJoshuwa 9

9 ¹Kwathi lapho onke amakhosi ayengaphesheya kweJordani—ezweni lezintaba, nasemathafeni, nasogwini lonke loLwandle oLukhulu olubheke eLebhanoni—amaHeti, nama-Amori, namaKhanani, namaPherizi, namaHivi, namaJebusi, ezwa lokhu, ²abuthana ndawonye njengamunye ukuba alwe noJoshuwa no-Israyeli. ³Kodwa lapho abantu baseGibeyoni bezwa lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile eJeriko nase-Ayi, ⁴nabo benza ngobuqili: baphuma bezenza izithunywa, bethatha amasaka aguge nemigodla yewayini emidala, edabukile ebekelwe iziziba, bayifaka ezimbongolweni zabo, ⁵izicathulo ezigugile ezibekelwe iziziba ezinyaweni zabo, izingubo ezidabukile emzimbeni wabo; isinkwa sabo sonke sasomile sikhithika. ⁶Baya kuJoshuwa ekamu laseGiligali bathi kuye nakuma-Israyeli: “Sivela ezweni elikude; manje yenzani isivumelwano nathi.”

⁷Kodwa amadoda akwa-Israyeli athi kumaHivi: “Mhlawumbe nihlala phakathi kwethu impela. Singasenza kanjani isivumelwano nani?”

⁸Bathi kuJoshuwa: “Siyizinceku zakho.” UJoshuwa wabuza: “Ningobani, futhi nivelaphi?”

⁹Bathi kuye: “Izinceku zakho zivela ezweni elikude kakhulu ngenxa yegama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokuba sizwile udumo lwakhe—konke akwenza eGibhithe, ¹⁰nakho konke akwenza emakhosini amabili ama-Amori ayengaphesheya kweJordani—uSihoni inkosi yaseHeshiboni no-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani, owayebusa e-Ashtaroti. ¹¹Ngakho amalunga ethu nabo bonke abantu bakithi bathi: ‘Thathani umphako wohambo, nihambe niyobahlangabeza, nithi kubo: “Siyizinceku zenu; manje yenzani isivumelwano nathi.”’ ¹²Isinkwa sethu sasifudumele mhla sisipakisha ekhaya ngosuku esasuka ngalo ukuza kuwe; manje, bheka—somile siyakhithika. ¹³Le migodla yewayini yayimisha mhla siyigcwalisa—manje isidabukile. Izingubo zethu nezicathulo zethu zigugile ngenxa yohambo olude kakhulu.”

¹⁴Ngakho amadoda anambitha umphako wabo kodwa awacelanga iseluleko kuBaba wethu. ¹⁵UJoshuwa wenza ukuthula nabo wasika isivumelwano sokuba baphile, nabaholi bebandla bafunga isifungo kubo. ^a a v15 ‘Ukusika isivumelwano’ yisisho sasendulo: izivumelwano ezisemthethweni zaziqinisekiswa ngokuhlaba nokwahlukanisa izilwane phakathi kwamaqembu amabili. ¹⁶Emva kwezinsuku ezintathu, sebenze isivumelwano nabo, bezwa ukuthi laba bantu babe ngomakhelwane abahlala phakathi kwabo. ¹⁷Ama-Israyeli asuka afika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu. Imizi yabo: iGibeyoni, iKhefira, iBheyeroti, neKiriyati Jeyarimi. ¹⁸Kodwa u-Israyeli awabahlaselanga, ngokuba abaholi bebandla babefunge kubo ngoBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Lonke ibandla lakhononda ngabaholi. ¹⁹Kodwa bonke abaholi bathi kulo lonke ibandla: “Safunga kubo ngoBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngakho manje ngeke sibathinte. ²⁰Yilokhu esizokwenza kubo: mababe baphile, ukuze ungehleli phezu kwethu ulaka ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kubo.” ²¹Abaholi bathi kubo: “Mababe baphile.” Ngakho baba ngabagawuli bezinkuni nabakhi bamanzi ebandleni lonke, njengoba abaholi babethembisile.

²²UJoshuwa wabe esebabiza: “Nisikhohliseleni, nithi, ‘Sihlala kude kakhulu nani,’ kanti nihlala phakathi kwethu impela? ²³Ngakho manje niqalekisiwe: niyakuba yizinceku kuze kube phakade—abagawuli bezinkuni nabakhi bamanzi endlini kaBaba wami.”

²⁴Baphendula uJoshuwa bathi: “Izinceku zakho zatshelwa ngokucacile ukuthi uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho wayeyale inceku yakhe uMose ukuba ininike izwe lonke nokubhuqa bonke abahlala kulo phambi kwenu. Ngakho, sesaba kakhulu ngenxa yokuphila kwethu ngenxa yenu, senza lokhu. ²⁵Manje sisesandleni sakho. Yenza kithi noma yini ebonakala ilungile futhi ifanele emehlweni akho.”

²⁶Ngakho wabenzela, wabasindisa ezandleni zabantu bakwa-Israyeli, ababababulalanga. ²⁷Ngalolo suku uJoshuwa wabenza abagawuli bezinkuni nabakhi bamanzi bebandla neze-altare likaBaba wethu endaweni ayezoyikhetha—kanjalo kusenjalo nanamuhla.