< Joshua 6 >
1 Jericho's gates were shut and barred because of the Israelites. Nobody was allowed in or out.
IJerikho yayivalwe ngci ngenxa yabako-Israyeli. Akulamuntu owayephuma loba owayengena.
2 But the Lord told Joshua, “I'm handing over the city of Jericho to you, along with its king and its army of warriors.
Ngakho uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Khangela, senginikele iJerikho, inkosi yayo kanye lamabutho ayo ezandleni zakho.
3 March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days.
Hambani libhode idolobho kanye lamadoda wonke ahlomileyo. Kwenzeni lokhu okwensuku eziyisithupha.
4 Seven priests are to go ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, march seven times around the city, with the priests blowing their rams' horns.
Abaphristi abayisikhombisa kabathwale amacilongo enziwe ngempondo zenqama phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa libhode idolobho kasikhombisa, abaphristi bevuthela amacilongo.
5 When you hear a long blast on the rams' horns, everyone shall give a really loud shout. The city walls will collapse, and every man can go right in.”
Nxa lingabezwa sebetshaya amacilongo bedonsa, abantu bonke kabahlabe umkhosi; umduli wedolobho uzadilika abantu bahle bangene, yilowo lalowo aqonde phambili.”
6 So Joshua, son of Nun, sent for the priests, and told them, “Pick up the Ark of Agreement, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns and go ahead of the Ark of the Lord.”
Ngakho uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wabiza abaphristi wathi kubo, “Thathani umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo kuthi abaphristi abayisikhombisa bahambe phambi kwawo bethwele amacilongo.”
7 Then he told the people, “Move out! March around the city with the armed men up front ahead of the Ark of the Lord!”
Waselaya abantu esithi, “Akuhanjwe! Hambani libhode idolobho, amabutho ahlomileyo ehamba phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo.”
8 When Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns in the presence of the Lord started out, blowing the horns, with the Ark following behind.
Kwathi uJoshuwa esekhulume labantu, abaphristi abayisikhombisa ababethwele amacilongo ayisikhombisa phambi kukaThixo bahamba phambili bevuthela amacilongo, njalo umtshokotsho wesivumelwano ubalandela.
9 Some of the armed men marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while some followed the Ark, the horns being blown continually.
Amabutho ayehlomile ahamba phambi kwabaphristi ababevuthela amacilongo, njalo amabutho angemuva ayelandela umtshokotsho. Ngasosonke lesisikhathi amacilongo ayekhala.
10 However, Joshua ordered them, “Don't shout, don't even talk. Don't say anything until I tell you all to shout—then shout!”
Kodwa uJoshuwa wayelaye abantu wathi, “Lingaze lahlaba umkhosi wempini, lingakhwezi amazwi enu, lingakhulumi lutho kuze kufike isikhathi engizalitshela ngaso ukuthi limemeze. Beselihlaba-ke umkhosi.”
11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. Then they returned to the camp and spent the night there.
Ngakho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo bawuthwala babhoda lawo idolobho kanye. Abantu babuyela ezihonqweni bayalala.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord.
UJoshuwa wavuka kusesele ngelanga elilandelayo njalo abaphristi bathwala umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo.
13 The seven priests with the seven rams' horns went ahead of the Ark of the Lord, blowing the horns. The armed men went before them and behind the Ark of the Lord, the horns being blown continually.
Abaphristi abayisikhombisa ababethwele amacilongo ayisikhombisa bahamba phambili bekhokhele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo, bevuthela amacilongo. Amadoda ayehlomile ayehamba phambi kwabo njalo amabutho angemuva ayelandela umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo, kukanti-ke amacilongo aqhubeka ekhala.
14 So on the second day they marched around the city, circling it once, and returned to the camp. They did this for a total of six days.
Ngosuku lwesibili babhoda idolobho kanye basebebuyela ezihonqweni. Bakwenza lokhu okwensuku eziyisithupha.
15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched around the city in the usual way, except that this day they circled the city seven times.
Ngelanga lesikhombisa bavuka emadabukakusa babhoda idolobho kasikhombisa ngendlela efanayo, ngaphandle kokuthi ngalelolanga babhoda kasikhombisa.
16 The seventh time around when the priests blew the horns, Joshua told the people, “Shout! For today the Lord has given the city to you!
Ngokwesikhombisa, kwathi abaphristi bekhalisa amacilongo, uJoshuwa walaya abantu wathi, “Memezani! Ngoba uThixo useliphile idolobho.
17 The city and everything in it is to be set apart for the Lord and destroyed. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
Idolobho lakho konke okukulo kuzakwahlukaniselwa uThixo. URahabi isifebe lalabo ahlala labo endlini yakhe yibo abazasindiswa ngenxa yokuthi wafihla inhloli esazithumayo.
18 But stay away from everything set apart for the Lord, for if you were to take anything you too would be liable to be destroyed, and you would also bring disaster on the camp of Israel.
Kodwa xwayani izinto ezahlukaniselwe ukubhujiswa, ukwenzela ukuthi lingazehliseli ukubhujiswa ngokuthatha okunye kwalezozinto. Lokho kungenza ukuthi izihonqo zako-Israyeli zehlelwe luhlupho njalo zitshabalaliswe.
19 All the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord and they must be placed in the Lord's treasury.”
Sonke isiliva, igolide lezinto zonke ezenziwe ngethusi langensimbi ezingcwele ziletheni kuThixo njalo kumele zifakwe esiphaleni sakhe sengcebo.”
20 So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, the people gave a loud shout, and the city walls collapsed. The men went in right away and captured the city.
Kwathi amacilongo ekhala abantu bahlaba umkhosi; ekukhaleni kwecilongo, abantu sebehlaba umkhosi omkhulu, umduli wabhidlika, ngakho wonke umuntu wangena phakathi balithatha idolobho.
21 They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
Idolobho balehlukanisela uThixo basebecakaza ngenkemba yonke into ephilayo eyayihlala kulo, amadoda labesifazane, abatsha labadala, inkomo, izimvu labobabhemi.
22 Joshua had told the two men who had gone to explore the land, “Go to the house of Rahab the prostitute and bring her out together with all her family, as you promised.”
UJoshuwa wakhuluma emadodeni amabili ayeke athunywa njengezinhloli zelizwe wathi, “Yanini endlini yesifebe liyesikhupha lezihlobo zaso zonke ligcwalise isifungo elasenza kuso.”
23 So the spies went and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, and all who were with her. They brought out the whole family and took them to a place near the Israelite camp.
Ngakho amadoda ayahambe ukuyahlola angena akhupha uRahabi, uyise lonina labanewabo lazozonke izihlobo zakhe. Bakhupha imuli yonke bayifaka endaweni eyayingaphandle kwezihonqo zako-Israyeli.
24 Then the Israelites burned down the city and everything in it, except for the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, which they placed in the treasury of the Lord's house.
Basebetshisa idolobho lonke lakho konke okwakuphakathi kwalo, kodwa befake isiliva legolide lezinto ezilungiswe ngethusi lensimbi esiphaleni sengcebo yendlu kaThixo.
25 Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.
Kodwa uJoshuwa waphephisa uRahabi isifebe lemuli yakhe labo bonke abangabakhe ngenxa yokuthi wafihla amadoda ayethunywe nguJoshuwa ukuba zinhloli eJerikho, futhi ulokhu ehlala phakathi kwabako-Israyeli kuze kube lamhlanje.
26 At that time Joshua declared a curse, saying: “Cursed before the Lord is anyone who attempts to rebuild this city of Jericho. He lays its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son; he sets up its gates at the cost of his youngest son.”
Ngalesosikhathi uJoshuwa wenza isifungo esiqinileyo esithi, “Iqalekisiwe phambi kukaThixo indoda ezimisela ukwakha kutsha lelidolobho laseJerikho: Ngempilo yezibulo lakhe lendodana uzakwenza izisekelo; ngempilo yecinathunjana uzalungisa amasango alo.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
UThixo wayeloJoshuwa, udumo lwakhe lwanda elizweni lonke.