UYoshuwa
24:1 Wazibizela ndawonye uYoshuwa zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli kwaShekem, wabiza
namadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, neentloko zawo, nabagwebi bawo, nangenxa yawo
amagosa abo; bazimisa phambi koThixo.
24:2 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo bonke abantu, Utsho uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi,
Ooyihlo babehleli ngaphaya konogumbe kwamandulo, kude kube sekupheleni
uTera, uyise ka-Abraham, noyise kaNahore;
abanye oothixo.
24:3 Ndamthabatha uyihlo uAbraham phesheya koMlambo, ndamkhokela
Waya ezweni lakwaKanan, wayandisa imbewu yakhe, wapha
kuye uIsake.
24:4 UIsake ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu; uEsawu ndamnika iintaba zakwaSehire.
ukulidla ilifa; ke uYakobi noonyana bakhe behla baya eYiputa.
24:5 Ndathuma uMoses noAron, ndayihlisela izibetho iYiputa
endakwenzayo ke phakathi kwabo, emveni koko ndanikhupha.
24:6 Ndabakhupha ooyihlo eYiputa, nafika elwandle; kwaye
amaYiputa abasukela ooyihlo, eneenqwelo zokulwa nangabamahashe, beza
uLwandle oluBomvu.
24:7 Bakhala kuYehova, wabeka isithokothoko phakathi kwenu
amaYiputa, wawazisela ulwandle, wawagubungela; kwaye wena
amehlo akubonile oko ndikwenzileyo eYiputa, nahlala entlango
ixesha elide.
24:8 Ndaningenisa ke ezweni lama-Amori abehleli kulo
ngaphesheya kweYordan; alwa nawe; ndawanikela esandleni sakho
ngesandla, ukuze nilihluthe ilizwe labo; ndawatshabalalisa kwasekuqaleni
wena.
24:9 Wesuka uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, walwa naye;
uSirayeli, wathumela wabiza uBhileham unyana kaBhehore, ukuba aniqalekise.
24:10 Andivuma ke ukumphulaphula uBhileham; ngenxa yoko wamana enisikelela;
ndanihlangula esandleni sakhe.
24:11 Nayiwela iYordan, nafika eYeriko kumadoda aseYeriko
alwa nani, nama-Amori, namaPerizi, namaPerizi;
amaKanan, namaHeti, namaGirgashi, namaHivi, namaHivi
amaYebhusi; ndawanikela esandleni sakho.
24:12 Ndathumela oonomeva phambi kwenu, babagxotha phambi kwenu;
ookumkani ababini bama-Amori; kodwa kungengakrele lakho, nokuba kungengakho
thoba.
24:13 Ndaninika ilizwe eningaxhamlekanga kulo, nemizi
eningazakhanga, nahlala ke kuzo; yezidiliya kunye
nizidla izinquma eningazityalanga;
24:14 Moyikeni ke ngoko uYehova, nimkhonze ngokugqibeleleyo, nangenyaniso.
nibasuse oothixo ababekhonza bona ooyihlo phesheya kwesibingelelo
nogumbe, naseYiputa; nikhonze uYehova.
24:15 Ke ukuba kubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uYehova, zinyuleleni namhla bani na
niya kukhonza; nokuba ngoothixo ababekhonza kubo ooyihlo
kwelinye icala loMkhukula, okanye oothixo bama-Amori, akumhlaba wawo
nihlala nina; ke mna nendlu yam siya kukhonza uYehova.
24:16 Baphendula abantu bathi, Makube lee kuthi ukuba sikushiye uYehova
Yehova, ukukhonza thixo bambi;
24:17 Ngokuba uYehova uThixo wethu nguye osinyusileyo thina noobawo bethu
ilizwe laseYiputa, endlwini yobukhoboka, nenza abo bakhulu
imiqondiso emehlweni ethu, yasigcina endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo
phakathi kwabantu bonke esacanda kubo;
24:18 UYehova wabagqogqa phambi kwethu bonke abantu, ama-Amori
nathi siya kukhonza uYehova; ngokuba yena
nguThixo wethu.
24:19 Wathi uYoshuwa ebantwini, Aninakumkhonza uYehova;
uThixo ongcwele; unguThixo onekhwele; akayi kukuxolela ukreqo lwakho
kwanezono zenu.
24:20 Ukuba nithe namshiya uYehova, nakhonza oothixo bolunye uhlanga, wojika enze
ninobubi, ninigqibe, emveni kokuba enenzele okulungileyo.
24:21 Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa, Hayi; thina siya kukhonza uYehova.
24:22 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo abantu, Ningamangqina ngakuni
nizinyulele uYehova ukuba nimkhonze. Bathi ke bona, Singuye
amangqina.
24:23 Wathi, basuseni ngoko izithixo zasemzini eziphakathi kwenu;
uyithobele intliziyo yakho kuYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli.
24:24 Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa, UYehova uThixo wethu somkhonza, nowakhe
siya kulithobela ilizwi.
24:25 UYoshuwa wenza ke umnqophiso nabantu ngaloo mini, wabamisa
ummiselo nesiko kwaShekem.
24:26 Wawabhala uYoshuwa la mazwi encwadini yomyalelo kaThixo, wathabatha
Ilitye elikhulu, walimisa khona phantsi kom-oki osendaweni engcwele
kaYehova.
24:27 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo bonke abantu, Yabonani, eli litye loba lilitye
ngqina kuthi; ngokuba liwavile lona onke amazwi kaYehova, awathethileyo
sathetha nathi; oko kuya kuba bubungqina kuni, ukuze ningakhanyeli
uThixo wakho.
24:28 Wabandulula ke uYoshuwa abantu; elowo waya elifeni lakhe.
24:29 Kwathi emveni kwezi zinto, uYoshuwa unyana kaNun, umthetheli
Wafa ke umkhonzi kaYehova engominyaka ilikhulu elinashumi-nye ezelwe.
24:30 Bamngcwabela emdeni welifa lakhe, eTimnati-sera;
ekweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, ngasentla kwentaba yaseGahashe.
24:31 AmaSirayeli amkhonza uYehova yonke imihla kaYoshuwa, nangemihla yonke kaYoshuwa
amadoda amakhulu awasalayo kuYoshuwa, abeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaYoshuwa
uYehova, awayewenzele amaSirayeli.
24:32 namathambo kaYosefu, abawanyusayo oonyana bakaSirayeli, bephuma kuwo
Bangcwatyelwa kwaShekem eYiputa, esiqwengeni somhlaba awasithengayo uYakobi
koonyana bakaHamore, uyise kaShekem, ikhulu leeshekele
yaba lilifa loonyana bakaYosefu.
24:33 Wafa uElazare unyana ka-Aron; bamngcwabela endulini
EkaPinehasi, unyana wakhe, awamnikayo kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim.