Joshua 7
1 The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
Kodwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphambuka ngesiphambeko ngokuqalekisiweyo. Ngoba uAkani indodana kaKarmi indodana kaZabidi indodana kaZera owesizwe sakoJuda wathatha kokuqalekisiweyo; ulaka lweNkosi lwaselubavuthela abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
2 Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
UJoshuwa wasethuma abantu besuka eJeriko besiya eAyi eliseduze leBeti-Aveni empumalanga kweBhetheli, wakhuluma kibo esithi: Yenyukani liyehlola ilizwe. Abantu basebesenyuka bayihlola iAyi.
3 On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”
Basebebuyela kuJoshuwa bathi kuye: Kakungenyuki bonke abantu; kakwenyuke phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezimbili loba phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezintathu ukutshaya iAyi. Ungadinisi bonke abantu ngokuya khona, ngoba balutshwana.
4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
Kwasekusenyukela khona abavela ebantwini amadoda aphosa abe zinkulungwane ezintathu; abaleka phambi kwamadoda eAyi.
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
Lamadoda eAyi atshaya phose amadoda angamatshumi amathathu lesithupha, axotshana lawo phambi kwesango aze afika eShebarimi, awatshayela ekwehleni. Ngakho inhliziyo yabantu yancibilika yaba ngamanzi.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
UJoshuwa wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi kwaze kwahlwa, yena labadala bakoIsrayeli, bathela uthuli emakhanda abo.
7 “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
UJoshuwa wasesithi: Maye Nkosi Jehova! Ubachaphiseleni lokubachaphisa lababantu iJordani ukusinikela esandleni samaAmori ukusibhubhisa? Kungathi ngabe seneliswa sahlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani!
8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
O Nkosi, ngizakuthini, emva kokuthi uIsrayeli esephendule intamo ezitheni zakhe?
9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
Ngoba amaKhanani labo bonke abakhileyo elizweni bazakuzwa, basihanqe, baliqume ibizo lethu lisuke emhlabeni. Pho, uzalenzelani ibizo lakho elikhulu?
10 But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Sukuma wena, uweleni kanje ngobuso bakho?
11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
UIsrayeli wonile; njalo baseqile isivumelwano sami engabalaya sona, bathethe futhi kokuqalekisiweyo, njalo bebile, baqamba amanga futhi, yebo bakubekile empahleni zabo.
12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
Ngalokho abantwana bakoIsrayeli babengelakuma phambi kwezitha zabo, baphendula umhlana phambi kwezitha zabo, ngoba beqalekisiwe. Kangisayikuba lani uba lingabhubhisi okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
13 Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
Sukuma, ngcwelisa abantu, uthi: Zingcweliseleleni ikusasa; ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Kukhona okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwakho, Israyeli; ungeke ume phambi kwezitha zakho lize likhuphe okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
14 In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
Ngakho ekuseni lizasondezwa ngezizwe zenu; kuzakuthi-ke isizwe iNkosi ezasibamba sizasondela ngensendo, losendo iNkosi ezalubamba luzasondela ngezindlu, lendlu iNkosi ezayibamba izasondela ngabantu.
15 The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
Kuzakuthi-ke lowo ozabanjwa lokuqalekisiweyo uzatshiswa ngomlilo, yena lakho konke alakho, ngoba eqe isivumelwano seNkosi, langoba enze ubuphukuphuku koIsrayeli.
16 So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wenza uIsrayeli wasondela ngezizwe zakhe; lesizwe sakoJuda sabanjwa;
17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
wasesenza usendo lwakoJuda lusondele, wabamba usendo lwakoZera; wenza usendo lwakoZera lusondele ngabantu; uZabidi wasebanjwa;
18 And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
wasesenza indlu yakhe isondele ngabantu; uAkani, indodana kaKarmi, indodana kaZabidi, indodana kaZera, owesizwe sakoJuda, wasebanjwa.
19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
UJoshuwa wasesithi kuAkani: Ndodana yami, ake unike iNkosi udumo, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, uvume kuye; ake ungitshele lokho okwenzileyo, ungangifihleli.
20 “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
UAkani wasephendula uJoshuwa wathi: Isibili mina ngonile eNkosini, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli. Ngokunje langokunje ngikwenzile.
21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
Kwathi ngibona phakathi kwempango isembatho seBhabhiloni esihle esisodwa, lamashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amabili, lolimi lwegolide olulodwa osisindo salo singamashekeli angamatshumi amahlanu, ngakuhawukela, ngakuthatha, khangela-ke, kuthukuziwe emhlabathini phakathi kwethente lami, lesiliva singaphansi kwakho.
22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
UJoshuwa wasethuma izithunywa, zagijima zaya ethenteni, khangela-ke, kwakufihliwe ethenteni lakhe, lesiliva singaphansi kwakho.
23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
Bakukhupha phakathi kwethente, bakuletha kuJoshuwa lebantwaneni bonke bakoIsrayeli, bakuthululela phambi kweNkosi.
24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
UJoshuwa loIsrayeli wonke ekanye laye basebemthatha uAkani indodana kaZera, lesiliva, lesembatho, lolimi lwegolide, lamadodana akhe, lamadodakazi akhe, lenkabi zakhe, labobabhemi bakhe, lezimvu zakhe, lethente lakhe, lakho konke ayelakho, bakwenyusela esihotsheni seAkori.
25 “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
UJoshuwa wasesithi: Usihlupheleni? INkosi izakuhlupha lamuhla. LoIsrayeli wonke wamkhanda ngamatshe; babatshisa ngomlilo, babakhanda ngamatshe.
26 And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
Bamisa phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu yamatshe kuze kube lamuhla. Ngalokho iNkosi yaphenduka ekuvutheni kolaka lwayo. Ngakho ibizo laleyondawo labizwa ngokuthi yisihotsha seAkori, kuze kube lamuhla.
