Abehluleli 1

1 ¹Emva kokufa kukaJoshuwa, ama-Israyeli abuza uBaba wethu, athi: “Ngubani oyokwenyuka kuqala ngenxa yethu ukuyolwa namaKhanani?”

²UBaba wethu wathi: “UJuda uyokwenyuka. Senginikele izwe ezandleni zakhe.”

³UJuda wathi kumfowabo uSimeyoni: “Yenyuka nami siye esabelweni sami, ukuze silwe namaKhanani; nami ngiyohamba nawe siye kwesakho.” Ngakho uSimeyoni wahamba naye. ⁴Ngakho uJuda wenyuka, uBaba wethu wanikela amaKhanani namaPherizi ezandleni zabo, babulala amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi eBezeki. ⁵EBezeki bamfica u-Adoni-bezeki, balwa naye, babulala amaKhanani namaPherizi. ⁶U-Adoni-bezeki wabaleka, kodwa bamxosha, bambamba, banquma izithupha zezandla zakhe nezithupha zezinyawo zakhe. ⁷U-Adoni-bezeki wathi: “Amakhosi angamashumi ayisikhombisa, izithupha zezandla zawo nezithupha zezinyawo zinqunyiwe, ayebutha imvuthuluka ngaphansi kwetafula lami. Njengoba ngenza, kanjalo uNkulunkulu ungibuyisele.” Bamletha eJerusalema, lapho afela khona.

⁸Amadoda akwaJuda alwa neJerusalema, ayithumba, ayishaya ngenkemba, alishisa idolobha. ⁹Emva kwalokho uJuda wehla wayokulwa namaKhanani ayehlala ezweni lezintaba, naseNegevi, nasemagqumeni asentshonalanga. ¹⁰UJuda waqhubeka walwa namaKhanani ayeseHebroni (okwakuqala lalibizwa ngokuthi iKiriyati-arba), wabulala oSheshayi, u-Ahimani, noThalmayi.

¹¹Besuka lapho bahamba bayohlasela abakhileyo baseDebiri (igama leDebiri okwakuqala lalinguKiriyati-sefere). ¹²UKalebi wathi: “Lowo ohlasela athumbe iKiriyati-sefere, ngiyomnika indodakazi yami u-Akhisa ibe ngumkakhe.” ¹³U-Otheniyeli indodana kaKenazi, umnawakhe kaKalebi, wayithumba, ngakho uKalebi wamnika indodakazi yakhe u-Akhisa ukuba ibe ngumkakhe.

¹⁴Kwathi lapho efika ku-Otheniyeli, wamkhuthaza ukuba acele insimu kuyise. Esehla embongolweni yakhe, uKalebi wambuza wathi: “Ufunani?”

¹⁵Wathi kuye: “Ngiphe isibusiso. Njengoba unginike izwe laseNegevi, ngiphe nemithombo yamanzi.” Ngakho uKalebi wamnika imithombo engenhla neyangaphansi. ¹⁶Inzalo yomKheni, umndeni kamukhwe kaMose, yenyuka kanye nabantu bakwaJuda isuka edolobheni lezihlahla zesundu yaya ehlane lakwaJuda eliseNegevi eduze ne-Aradi, yahlala phakathi kwabantu. ^a a v16 Idolobha lezihlahla zesundu yiJeriko, esigodini saseJordani. ¹⁷UJuda wahamba nomfowabo uSimeyoni; bashaya amaKhanani ayehlala eZefati bayibhubhisa nya, ngakho idolobha laqanjwa ngokuthi iHorma. ^b b v17 IHorma lisho “ukubhujiswa” — igama elisha liqopha ukuthi idolobha lanikelwa ngokuphelele ekubhujisweni. ¹⁸UJuda waphinda wathumba iGaza nezwe lalo, ne-Ashkeloni nezwe lalo, ne-Ekroni nezwe lalo. ¹⁹UBaba wethu wayenoJuda, owathatha izwe lezintaba kodwa wayengakwazi ukuxosha abantu basezigodini, ngokuba babenezinqola zempi zensimbi. ²⁰Banika uKalebi iHebroni, njengokuba uMose ayethembisile, waxosha khona amadodana amathathu ka-Anaki. ²¹Kodwa uBhenjamini akazange awaxoshe amaJebusi ayeseJerusalema; ngakho amaJebusi ahlala noBhenjamini eJerusalema kuze kube namuhla.

²²Indlu kaJosefa nayo yenyuka yahlasela iBethele, uBaba wethu wayenabo. ²³Indlu kaJosefa yathuma amadoda ukuba ahlole iBethele (idolobha okwakuqala lalibizwa ngokuthi iLuzi). ²⁴Izinhloli zabona indoda iphuma edolobheni, zathi kuyo: “Sikhombise indlela yokungena, thina siyokuphatha ngomusa.” ²⁵Ngakho wazikhombisa indlela yokungena, zashaya idolobha ngenkemba, kodwa zayiyeka indoda nomndeni wayo wonke bahamba. ²⁶Indoda yaya ezweni lamaHeti, yakha idolobha, yaliqamba ngokuthi iLuzi—igama lalo kuze kube namuhla.

²⁷UManase akazange abaxoshe abantu baseBeti-sheyani, naseThahanaki, naseDori, nase-Ibleyamu, naseMegido, nemizana yabo; ngakho amaKhanani azimisela ukuqhubeka ehlala kulelo zwe. ²⁸Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli eseqinile, awaphoqa amaKhanani ukuba akhonze njengezigqila, kodwa akazange awaxoshe nya. ²⁹U-Efrayimi akazange awaxoshe amaKhanani ayehlala eGezeri, ngakho aqhubeka ehlala phakathi kwabo khona lapho. ³⁰UZebuloni akazange abaxoshe abantu baseKitroni nabantu baseNahaloli, ngakho amaKhanani ahlala phakathi kwabo kodwa aba yizigqila eziphoqelelwe emsebenzini. ³¹U-Asheri akazange abaxoshe abantu ababehlala e-Ako, naseSidoni, nase-Ahilabi, nase-Akizibi, naseHeliba, nase-Afiki, naseRehobi; ³²ngakho ama-Asheri ahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani ezwe, ngokuba akazange awaxoshe. ³³UNafetali akazange abaxoshe abahlali baseBeti-shemeshi nabaseBeti-anati, ngakho wahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani ezwe; kodwa abaseBeti-shemeshi nabaseBeti-anati baba yizigqila zakhe eziphoqelelwe emsebenzini. ³⁴Ama-Amori aphoqa amaDani ukuba abuyele ezweni lezintaba, engawavumeli ukuba ehlele ethafeni. ³⁵Ama-Amori aphikelela ukuhlala eNtabeni iHeresi, nase-Ayaloni, nase-Shahalibimi, kodwa isandla sendlu kaJosefa sawacindezela, aba yizigqila eziphoqelelwe emsebenzini. ³⁶Umngcele wama-Amori wawusuka emqanseni wase-Akirabimi, kusukela eSela kuqhubeka kwenyuke.