UJoshuwa
7 Kodwa abako-Israyeli abalalelanga lokho ababekutsheliwe mayelana lezinto okwakumele zitshabalaliswe. U-Akhani+ indodana kaKhami indodana kaZabhidayi indodana kaZera owesizwana sakoJuda, wathatha ezinye zakhona.+ Ngakho uJehova wabathukuthelela kakhulu abako-Israyeli.+
2 Ngalesosikhathi uJoshuwa wathuma amadoda ukuthi asuke eJerikho aye edolobheni le-Ayi+ eliseduze leBhethi-aveni empumalanga yeBhetheli.+ Wathi kuwo: “Hambani liyehlola ilizwe.” Amadoda la asehamba ayahlola i-Ayi. 3 Athi esephendukile kuJoshuwa amtshela athi: “Akulasizatho sokuthi kuhambe lonke ibutho. I-Ayi inganqotshwa ngamadoda angaba ngu-2 000 loba angu-3 000 kuphela. Ungatshoni udinisa wonke amabutho ngoba abantu base-Ayi balutshwana.”
4 Ngakho kwahamba amabutho angaba ngu-3 000. Amadoda ase-Ayi athi ephuma ezokulwa lawo, amabutho la abaleka.+ 5 Abase-Ayi bawaxotshanisa amabutho ako-Israyeli besukela egedini ledolobho behla lawo baze bayafika eShebharimi,* behamba bewabulala. Ngalelolanga kwafa amadoda ako-Israyeli angu-36. Abantu bathi bekuzwa lokho besaba kakhulu baphela amandla.
6 Ngakho uJoshuwa labadala bako-Israyeli badabula izembatho zabo baguqa bathi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi likaJehova kwaze kwaba ntambama. Babelokhu bezithela ngenhlabathi emakhanda. 7 UJoshuwa wasesithi: “Awu Nkosi Enkulu Jehova, kambe ungachaphisa abantu laba umfula uJodani ukuze ubanikele esandleni sama-Amori abatshaye ababhuqe? Ngabe phela sahle sazihlalela ngaphetsheya kukaJodani!* 8 Awu Jehova, ngicela ungixolele ngokukhuluma kanje, kambe ngingathini njengoba abako-Israyeli bebalekele izitha zabo? 9 AbaseKhenani labo bonke abantu abahlala elizweni leli bazathi bekuzwa lokho basihanqe, bahlasele isizwe sethu basithanyele siphele du.* Pho uzathini ngebizo lakho eliphakemeyo?”+
10 UJehova wasephendula uJoshuwa wathi: “Sukuma! Kungani uguqile wathi mbo phansi ngobuso? 11 Abako-Israyeli bonile, bephule isivumelwano+ engasenza labo. Batshontshe+ izinto obekufanele zitshabalaliswe+ bazifihla empahleni yabo.+ 12 Yikho abako-Israyeli abasoze benelise ukulwa lezitha zabo. Bazazifulathela babaleke ngoba labo sekumele batshabalaliswe. Kangisoze ngiqhubeke ngilani lize lizisuse phakathi kwenu izinto obekumele zitshabalaliswe.+ 13 Sukuma khonapho uyetshela abantu ukuthi bazihlambulule,*+ uthi kubo: ‘Zihlambululeni lilungiselela ilanga lakusasa ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Bantu bako-Israyeli, phakathi kwenu kulezinto obekumele zitshabalaliswe. Yikho kalisoze lenelise ukunqoba izitha zenu ngaphandle kokuthi lisuse izinto lezo phakathi kwenu. 14 Kusasa ekuseni kumele lime ngezizwana zenu. Isizwana uJehova azasikhetha+ sizasondela phambili, usendo ngalunye lume lodwa. Abantu bosendo uJehova azalukhetha bazasondela phambili, bame ngezimuli zabo. Besekusithi emulini uJehova azayikhetha kusondele umuntu ngamunye. 15 Umuntu ozatholakala elezinto obekumele zitshabalaliswe uzatshiswa ngomlilo+ lakho konke okungokwakhe ngoba wephule isivumelwano+ sikaJehova wenza into elihlazo ko-Israyeli.”’”
16 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu wabiza abako-Israyeli wabamisa ngezizwana zabo, kwasekukhethwa isizwana sakoJuda. 17 Wathi usendo ngalunye lwesizwana sakoJuda lume lodwa, kwasekukhethwa usendo lukaZera.+ Ngemva kwalokho wathi umuntu ngamunye wosendo lukaZera asondele, kwasekukhethwa uZabhidayi. 18 Wasesithi umuntu ngamunye emulini kaZabhidayi asondele phambili. Kwasekukhethwa+ u-Akhani indodana kaKhami, indodana kaZabhidayi, indodana kaZera owesizwana sakoJuda. 19 UJoshuwa wathi ku-Akhani: “Ndodana yami, ngicela unike uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli udumo, uvume kuye konke okwenzileyo. Ngicela ungitshele okwenzileyo, ungangifihleli lutho.”
20 U-Akhani waphendula uJoshuwa wathi: “Liqiniso sibili ukuthi yimi engonileyo kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Nanku engikwenzileyo: 21 Ngithe ngikhangela empahleni ngabona isembatho sezikhulu esihle saseShinari,+ lamashekheli* esiliva angu-200 legolide elilesisindo esingamashekheli angu-50, ngakuhawukela ngasengikuthatha. Izinto lezi ngizigqibele etendeni lami, isiliva legolide yikho okungaphansi.”
22 UJoshuwa uthe ekuzwa lokhu wathuma izithunywa ukuthi zigijime ziye etendeni lika-Akhani. Zathola isembatho sifihliwe etendeni lakhe, isiliva legolide kungaphansi. 23 Ngakho zathatha izinto lezo zaziletha kuJoshuwa lasebantwini bonke bako-Israyeli zazibeka phambi kukaJehova. 24 UJoshuwa labantu bako-Israyeli basebethatha u-Akhani+ indodana kaZera, lesiliva, lesembatho sezikhulu kanye legolide.+ Bathatha amadodana lamadodakazi akhe, lenkomo zakhe labobabhemi, lembuzi lezimvu kanye letende lakhe, lakho konke okungokwakhe, bahamba lakho esigodini se-Akhori.+ 25 UJoshuwa wasesithi: “Kungani usidalele uhlupho+ olungaka? Lawe uJehova uzakwehlisela uhlupho lamuhla.” Ngakho abako-Israyeli babakhanda ngamatshe+ basebebatshisa ngomlilo.+ Bonke bafa bekhandwa ngamatshe. 26 Ngemva kwalokho abantu babuthelela inqwaba yamatshe phezu kwesidumbu sika-Akhani njalo amatshe la alokhu ekhona kuze kube lamuhla. Ngakho ulaka lukaJehova lwaphela.+ Indawo le ilokhu ibizwa ngokuthi yisigodi se-Akhori.*