Jos 8 | NdeIBE | STEP | UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa, “Ungesabi, ungalahli ithemba. Thatha ibutho lonke uhambe uyehlasela i-Ayi, ngoba nginikile ezandleni zakho inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobho layo lelizwe layo.

Joshua 8

Ukutshabalaliswa kwe-Ayi

1 UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa, “Ungesabi, ungalahli ithemba. Thatha ibutho lonke uhambe uyehlasela i-Ayi, ngoba nginikile ezandleni zakho inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobho layo lelizwe layo. 2 Uzakwenza e-Ayi lenkosini yakhona lokho owakwenza eJerikho lenkosini yakhona, ngaphandle kokuthi lingazithathela impahla zonke eliyabe lizithumbile lezifuyo kube ngokwenu. Cathamani ngemva kwedolobho.”

3 Ngakho uJoshuwa lebutho lonke baphuma bayahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu ayezingcitshi ukwedlula amanye ekulweni, wasewathuma ebusuku. 4 Wawalaya wathi, “Lalesisisani: kumele licathame ngemva kwedolobho. Lingaze laya khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale liqaphele. 5 Mina lalabo engizabe ngilabo sizaqhubeka siqonde edolobheni, kuthi nxa amadoda ephuma ukusihlasela njengalokho akwenza kuqala, sizawabalekela. 6 Bazaxotshana lathi size sibahugele khatshana ledolobho, ngoba bazakuthi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala.’ Yikho nxa sibabalekela,

7 lina lizavuka lapho eliyabe licathame khona beselithumba idolobho. UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzalinikela ezandleni zenu. 8 Nxa selilithumbile idolobho lithungeleni ngomlilo. Yenzani lokho okulaywe nguJehova. Wobani leqiniso lokuthi lilandela iziqondiso zami.”

9 UJoshuwa wasebalaya ukuthi bahambe, basebesiya endaweni okwakumele bachathame kuyo phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi – kodwa uJoshuwa waqeda ubusuku lobo elabantu.

10 Ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa waqoqa amabutho akhe, kwathi yena labakhokheli bako-Israyeli bahamba phambi kwabo besiya e-Ayi. 11 Iviyo lonke lalabo ayelabo lahamba laya edolobheni lafika lema phambi kwabo. Bamisa izihonqo enyakatho ye-Ayi, isigodi siphakathi kwabo ledolobho.

12 UJoshuwa wayethethe amadoda aphosa afike kunkulungwane ezinhlanu wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi entshonalanga yedolobho. 13 Benza ukuthi amabutho aye ezikhundleni zawo zonke ezaziphakathi kwezihonqo enyakatho yedolobho lendaweni yokuchathamela eyayisentshonalanga yalo. Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa waya esigodini.

14 Inkosi yase-Ayi yathi ibona lokhu yona lawo wonke amadoda akulelodolobho aphanga aphuma kusesele ekuseni ukuze ayehlangana lo-Israyeli empini kweyinye indawo ekhangelane le-Arabha. Kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kwakulamabutho ayeyicathamele ngemva kwedolobho. 15 UJoshuwa labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bavumela ukubuyiselwa emuva, babalekela enkangala. 16 Wonke amadoda e-Ayi atshelwa ukuthi ababaxotshe, basebexotshana loJoshuwa bahugelwa khatshana ledolobho.

17 Kakukho lendoda eyodwa eyasala e-Ayi kumbe eBhetheli engazanga ixotshane labako-Israyeli.

18 UJehova wasesithi kuJoshuwa, “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni ukhombe e-Ayi, ngenxa yokuthi idolobho leli ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wakhombela e-Ayi ngomkhonto wakhe. 19 Wathi esanda kwenza lokhu, amadoda ayecathamele ukuhlasela aphakama masinyane ezindaweni ayekuzo agijimela phambili. Angena edolobheni alithumba asephanga ukulithungela ngomlilo.

20 Amadoda e-Ayi anyemukula abona intuthu eyayisuka edolobheni iqonga emayezini kodwa aswela ukuthi azabalekela ngaphi ngoba abako Israyeli ababebalekele enkangala basebephendukele labo ababebaxotsha.

21 Kwathi uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli bonke bebona ukuthi labo ababecathamile basebethumbe idolobho lokuthi intuthu yayiqonga emayezini ivela edolobheni batshibilika baqalisa ukuhlasela amadoda ase-Ayi. 22 Amadoda ayecathamile lawo aphuma edolobheni abahlasela, okwenza ukuthi babe phakathi laphakathi, inxa zombili zilabako-Israyeli. Abako-Israyeli babatshaya bababhuqa akwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyukayo.

23 Kodwa bathatha inkosi yase-Ayi iphila basebeyiletha kuJoshuwa.

24 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebeqedile ukubulala wonke amadoda ase-Ayi emagcekeni enkangala lapho ababexotshane lawo khona, njalo wonke esegwazwe ngenkemba, bonke abako-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi babulala abantu bonke abakulelo dolobho. 25 Amadoda labesifazana abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili bafa ngalelolanga bonke kungabantu be-Ayi, 26 ngoba uJoshuwa kazange ehlise isandla sakhe esiphethe umkhonto sikhombisa ngawo baze babhujiswa bonke abantu ababehlala e-Ayi.

27 Kodwa abako-Israyeli bathatha zonke izifuyo lezimpahla okwakuthunjwe kulelodolobho, njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguJehova.

28 UJoshuwa watshisa i-Ayi wayenza yaba lunxiwa oluyinqwaba, indawo engekuhlalwa muntu kuze kube lamhlanje. 29 Walengisa inkosi yase-Ayi ezihlahleni wayitshiya kwaze kwaba ntambama. Ekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bethule isidumbu sayo esihlahleni basiphosele esangweni ledolobho. Babuthelela inqumbi yamatshe phezu kwaso, njalo lokhu kunjalo kuze kube lamhlanje.

Isivumelwano siyavuselelwa eNtabeni yase-Ebhali

30 UJoshuwa wasesakhela uJehova uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli i-alitare e-Ebhali.

31 Njengokulaya okwenziwa nguMosi inceku kaJehova kwabako-Israyeli walakha njengokulaywa okulotshwe encwadini yomthetho kaMosi i-alithare lamatshe angabazwanga, okungazanga kusetshenziswe insimbi phezu kwawo. Kulo banikela kuJehova iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano. 32 Lapho phambi kwabako-Israyeli uJoshuwa waloba ematsheni umthetho kaMosi ayewubhalile. 33 Bonke abako-Israyeli, abezizweni lezakhamizi ngokufanayo, labadala babo, iziphathamandla labehluleli babemi emaceleni womabili ebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova bekhangelane lalabo ababelithwele – abaphristi, ababengabaLevi. Ingxenye yabantu yema phambi kwentaba yeGerizimi kwathi eyinye ingxenye yema phambi kwentaba ye-Ebhali, njengokulaya kukaMosi inceku kaJehova owayelaye ukuthi kubusiswe abantu bako-Israyeli.

34 Sekumuva, uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho – izibusiso leziqale-kiso – njengokulotshwa okwenziwe encwadini yemithetho. 35 Kakulalizwi elalaywa nguMosi elingazanga lifundwe nguJoshuwa phambi kombuthano wonke wako-Israyeli kugoqela abesifazane labantwana labezizweni ababehlala phakathi kwabo.