UJoshuwa
24:1 UJoshuwa wabutha zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli eShekemi, wabiza
amalunga akwa-Israyeli, nezinhloko zawo, nabahluleli bakhe, nangenxa
izikhulu zabo; bazimisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
24:2 UJoshuwa wayesethi kubo bonke abantu: "Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi:
Oyihlo babehlala ngaphesheya kukazamcolo endulo, yebo
uTera, uyise ka-Abrahama, noyise kaNahori; bakhonza
abanye onkulunkulu.
24:3 Ngamthatha uyihlo u-Abrahama ngaphesheya komfula, futhi ngahola
naye ezweni lonke laseKhanani, wandisa inzalo yakhe, wanikela
kuye u-Isaka.
24:4 Ngamnika u-Isaka uJakobe no-Esawu, futhi ngamnika u-Esawu intaba yaseSeyiri.
ukulidla; kepha uJakobe nabantwana bakhe behlela eGibithe.
24:5 Ngathuma oMose no-Aroni, futhi mina washaya iGibhithe, ngokuvumelana nalokho
engakwenzayo phakathi kwabo, ngasemuva nganikhipha.
6 Ngakhipha oyihlo eGibithe, nafika olwandle; futhi
abaseGibithe babaxosha oyihlo ngezinqola nangabamahhashi
uLwandle Olubomvu.
24:7 Futhi lapho bekhala kuJehova, wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwakho
abaseGibithe, waluyisa ulwandle phezu kwabo, lwabasibekela; kanye nawe
amehlo abonile engikwenzile eGibithe, nahlala ehlane
isizini ende.
24:8 Futhi nganingenisa ezweni lama-Amori, ayehlala phezu kwawo
ngaphesheya kweJordani; balwa nani; ngabanikela esandleni senu
isandla, ukuze nidle ifa lezwe labo; futhi ngababhubhisa kusukela ekuqaleni
wena.
24:9 Khona-ke uBalaki, indodana kaSipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, wasukuma walwa
Israyeli, wathumela wabiza uBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ukuba aniqalekise.
24:10 Kepha angivumanga ukumlalela uBileyamu; ngalokho wanibusisa namanje
ngalikhulula esandleni sakhe.
24:11 Nawela iJordani, nafika eJeriko, futhi amadoda aseJeriko
balwa nani, nama-Amori, namaPherizi, nama-Amori
amaKhanani, namaHeti, namaGirigashi, namaHivi, namaHiti
amaJebusi; ngawanikela esandleni sakho.
24:12 Ngathumela iminyovu phambi kwenu, eyabaxosha phambi kwenu.
amakhosi amabili ama-Amori; kodwa kungengenkemba yakho, kumbe ngeyakho
khothama.
24:13 Futhi ngininike izwe eningawusebenzelanga, kanye nemizi
eningazakhanga, nihlala kuzo; wezivini kanye
iminqumo eningayitshalanga niyayidla.
24:14 Manje yesabani uJehova, futhi nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangeqiniso.
nisuse onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo ngaphesheya kweN
uzamcolo, naseGibithe; nikhonze uJehova.
24:15 Futhi uma kubonakala kubi kuwe ukukhonza uJehova, khetha namuhla ubani
niyakukhonza; noma onkulunkulu ababekhonzwa oyihlo ababekubo
ngaphesheya koZamcolo, noma onkulunkulu bama-Amori, ezweni labo
nihlala, kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uJehova.
24:16 Futhi abantu baphendula bathi: "Makube kude nathi ukuba sikushiye
Jehova, ukukhonza abanye onkulunkulu;
24:17 Ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, nguye owasikhuphula futhi obaba bethu
izwe laseGibithe, endlini yobugqila, nenza labo abakhulu
izibonakaliso emehlweni ethu, wasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo
phakathi kwabantu bonke esadabula kubo;
24:18 Futhi uJehova wabaxosha phambi kwethu bonke abantu, ngisho nama-Amori
ngalokho nathi siyakumkhonza uJehova; ngoba yena
unguNkulunkulu wethu.
" 24:19 UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: "Aninakumkhonza uJehova, ngoba yena unguNkulunkulu
uNkulunkulu ongcwele; unguNkulunkulu onomhawu; kayikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu
noma izono zakho.
24:20 Uma nimshiya uJehova, futhi nikhonze onkulunkulu bezinye izizwe, khona-ke uyophenduka futhi enze
niyakulimaza, niniqede, ngemva kokuba esenenzele okuhle.
" 24:21 Futhi abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: "Hhayi! kepha thina siyakumkhonza uJehova.
" 24:22 UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: "Nina ningofakazi ngokumelene nani
ukuthi nizikhethele uJehova ukuba nimkhonze. Bathi: Sikhona
ofakazi.
24:23 “Ngalokho manje susani onkulunkulu bezizweni abaphakathi kwenu,
futhi uthambekise inhliziyo yakho kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
" 24:24 Futhi abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: "UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu siyakumkhonza kanye nowakhe
sizolalela izwi.
24:25 Ngakho uJoshuwa wenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolo suku, futhi wabamisa
izimiso nesimiso eShekemi.
24:26 UJoshuwa waloba lawa mazwi encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, wathatha a
itshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho phansi kwe-oki elaliseduze kwendlu engcwele
kaJehova.
24:27 UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: "Bheka, leli tshe liyakuba a
fakaza kithi; ngoba lizwile wonke amazwi eNKOSI ewatshoyo
wakhuluma kithi; ngakho-ke kuyakuba ngubufakazi kini, funa niphike
uNkulunkulu wakho.
24:28 UJoshuwa wayesebadedela abantu, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
24:29 Kwathi emva kwalezi zinto, uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, the
Yafa inceku kaJehova ineminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.
24:30 Bammbela emkhawulweni wefa lakhe eThimnati-sera.
elisezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ngasenyakatho kwentaba yakwaGahashi.
24:31 U-Israyeli wamkhonza uJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa, futhi zonke izinsuku zikaJehova
amadoda amadala ayephila ngemva kukaJoshuwa, ayeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaJoshuwa
uJehova ayekwenzele u-Israyeli.
24:32 Futhi amathambo kaJosefa, okuyinto abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphula kusukela
eGibithe bangcwatshwa eShekemi esiqeshini sezwe uJakobe asithenga
emadodaneni kaHamori uyise kaShekemi ngezinhlamvu eziyikhulu
isiliva, kwaba yifa labantwana bakwaJosefa.
24:33 U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa; bammbela entabeni leyo
ezikaFinehasi indodana yakhe amnika zona ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi.