Jotjhuwa
24 UJotjhuwa wahlanganisa zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli eTjhekemu, wabiza abadala bama-Israyeli, iinhloko zawo, abahluleli bawo neenkhulu zawo,+ bajama phambi kwakaZimu weqiniso. 2 UJotjhuwa wathi kibo boke abantu: “UJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Ekadeni+ abokhokho benu,+ uTerarhi uyise ka-Abrahama noNarhori, bebahlala ngakwelinye ihlangothi loMlambo* begodu bebalotjha abanye abozimu.+
3 “‘Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ngasusa ukhokhwenu u-Abrahama+ ngakwelinye ihlangothi loMlambo,* ngamkhambisa yoke inarha yeKanana begodu ngenza iinzukulwana zakhe zaba zinengi.+ Ngamupha u-Isaka;+ 4 u-Isaka ngamupha uJakopo no-Esewu.+ Ngemva kwesikhathi, nganikela u-Esewu iNtaba iSeyiri bona ibe ngeyakhe;+ kwathi uJakopo namadodanakhe behlela eGibhide.+ 5 Ngemva kwesikhathi, ngathumela uMosi no-Aroni,+ ngabetha iGibhide ngamatshwenyeko,+ ngemva kwalokho nganikhupha eGibhide. 6 Nangikhupha aboyihlo eGibhide,+ amaGibhide bewabagijimisa ngeenkarana zepi namasotja akhamba ngeenjomani kufikela eLwandle eliBomvu. Kwathi nabafika elwandle,+ 7 bathoma ukulilela uJehova,+ yeke wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu namaGibhide, wabuyisa ilwandle phezu kwawo lawagubuzesa,+ nazibonela ngawenu engakwenza eGibhide.+ Ngemva kwalokho, nahlala emmangweni iminyaka eminengi.+
8 “‘Nganiletha enarheni yama-Amori ebewahlala ngakwelinye ihlangothi leJordani,* alwa nani.+ Nokho ngawanikela esandleni senu bona nithathe inarhawo begodu ngawatjhabalalisa phambi kwenu.+ 9 Ngemva kwalokho, uBhalaki indodana kaTsipori ikosi yakwaMowabi, walwa no-Israyeli. Wabiza uBhalami indodana kaBhewori bona aniqalekise.+ 10 Nokho akhenge ngimlalele uBhalami.+ Yeke wanibusisa ngokubuyelelweko+ begodu nganisindisa esandleni sakhe.+
11 “‘Ngemva kwalokho, nayama iJordani+ neza eJerikho.+ Abarholi beJerikho,* ama-Amori, amaPerizi, amaKanana, amaRhiti, amaGirigatjhi, amaRhivi namaJebusi balwa nani kodwana ngabanikela esandleni senu.+ 12 Ngabenza baphelelwa mamandla* yeke babaleka phambi kwenu,+ njengamakhosi amabili wama-Amori. Akhenge kwenzeke ngomkhontwenu namkha ngomsubelenu.+ 13 Ngokunjalo nganinikela inarha eningakayisebenzeli namadorobho eningakawakhi,+ nahlala kiwo. Nje nidla emasimini wamadiribe nemithini yama-oliva eningakayitjali.’+
14 “Yeke, sabani uJehova nimlotjhe ngokungasolekiko nangokuthembeka,*+ nisuse abozimu ebebalotjhwa bokhokho benu ngakwelinye ihlangothi loMlambo* neGibhide,+ nilotjhe uJehova. 15 Nje-ke nange kubonakala kukumbi kini ukulotjha uJehova, khethani namhlanjesi bona nizokulotjha bani,+ ukuthi nizokulotjha abozimu ebebalotjhwa bokhokho benu ngakwelinye ihlangothi loMlambo*+ namkha abozimu bama-Amori enihlala enarhenawo.+ Kodwana mina nomndenami sizokulotjha uJehova.”
16 Abantu baphendula bathi: “Angeze sathoma silahle uJehova begodu angeze silotjhe abanye abozimu. 17 NguJehova uZimethu osikhuphe enarheni yeGibhide,+ endlini yobukhoboka,+ thina nabobabethu, nguye owenze iimangaliso ezikulwezi phambi kwamehlwethu,+ wasigada indlela yoke esiyikhambileko neentjhabeni zoke esidlule hlangana nazo.+ 18 UJehova waqotha zoke iintjhaba, kuhlanganise nama-Amori ebewahlala enarheni le ngaphambi kwethu. Yeke nathi sizokulotjha uJehova ngombana unguZimethu.”
19 UJotjhuwa wathi ebantwini: “Angeze nikghone ukulotjha uJehova ngombana unguZimu ocwengileko;+ unguZimu ofuna nizinikele kuye kwaphela.+ Angeze anilibalele imitjhaphwenu* nezono zenu.+ 20 Naningalahla uJehova nilotjhe abozimu bezinye iintjhaba, naye uzonijikela anitjhabalalise ngemva kokuthi anenzele okuhle.”+
21 Kodwana abantu bathi kuJotjhuwa: “Awa, sizokulotjha uJehova!”+ 22 Yeke uJotjhuwa wathi ebantwini: “Nibofakazi malungana nani bokuthi nizikhethele ngokwenu ukulotjha uJehova.”+ Bathi: “Sibofakazi.”
23 “Yeke susani abozimu bezinye iintjhaba abaphakathi kwenu, nilotjhe uJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli ngehliziyo yoke.” 24 Abantu bathi kuJotjhuwa: “Sizokulotjha uJehova uZimethu begodu sizokulalela ilizwi lakhe!”
25 Yeke uJotjhuwa wenza isivumelwano nabantu mhlokho eTjhekemu begodu wababekela umthetho. 26 Ngemva kwalokho, uJotjhuwa watlola amezwi la eNcwadini yomThetho kaZimu,+ wathatha ilitje elikhulu+ walibeka ngaphasi komuthi omkhulu osendaweni ecwengileko kaJehova.
27 UJotjhuwa waraga wathi ebantwini boke: “Qalani! Ilitjeli lizokuba ngufakazethu+ ngombana lizwe koke uJehova akutjho kithi begodu lizokuba ngufakazenu bona ningamphiki uZimenu.” 28 Ngemva kwalokho, uJotjhuwa wakhambisa abantu, omunye nomunye waya elifeni lakhe.+
29 Ngemva kwezintwezi, uJotjhuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaJehova, wahlongakala aneminyaka eli-110.+ 30 Bambulunga endaweni yelifa lakhe eTimnathi-Serarhi,+ esesifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, ngetlhagwini yeNtaba iGatjhi. 31 U-Israyeli waragela phambili alotjha uJehova yoke imihla kaJotjhuwa nayo yoke imihla yabadala abaphila isikhathi eside ukudlula uJotjhuwa begodu ebebazi koke uJehova akwenzela u-Israyeli.+
32 Amathambo kaJosefa+ ama-Israyeli aphuma nawo eGibhide, abulungwa eTjhekemu engcenyeni yesimu uJakopo ayithenga emadodaneni kaRhamori,+ uyise kaTjhekemu, ngeempaparwana zemali ezili-100;+ isimu leyo yaba lilifa lamadodana kaJosefa.+
33 U-Elazara indodana ka-Aroni naye wahlongakala.+ Bambulunga embundwini kaFiniyasi indodanakhe,+ egade anikelwe wona esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu.