Joshua 23
1 And it comes to pass, many days after that YHWH has given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, that Joshua is old, entering into days,
Ngemva kwesikhathi eside njalo uThixo esephumuze abako-Israyeli kuzozonke izitha zabo ezazibagombolozele, uJoshuwa ngalesosikhathi esekhulile eseleminyaka eminengi,
2 and Joshua calls for all Israel, for his elderly, and for his heads, and for his judges, and for his authorities, and says to them, “I have become old; I have entered into days;
wabiza bonke abako-Israyeli, abadala babo, abakhokheli babo, abahluleli babo leziphathamandla zabo wathi kubo: “Sengimdala njalo sengiluphele kakhulu.
3 and you have seen all that your God YHWH has done to all these nations because of you, for your God YHWH [is] He who is fighting for you;
Lina ngokwenu selikubonile konke lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akwenzileyo kuzozonke lezi izizwe esenzela lina; nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu owalilwelayo.
4 see, I have caused these nations who are left to fall to you for an inheritance to your tribes, from the Jordan (and all the nations which I cut off), and the Great Sea [at] the [setting] sun.
Khumbulani ukuthi ngalabela njani ukuba kube yilifa lenu lezizwana zenu wonke umhlaba wezizwe ezasalayo, izizwe engazinqobayo, phakathi kweJodani loLwandle Olukhulu entshonalanga.
5 As for your God YHWH, He thrusts them from your presence, and has dispossessed them from before you, and you have possessed their land, as your God YHWH has spoken to you,
UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngokwakhe uzabaxotsha endleleni yenu. Uzabasusa lina lingakafiki, njalo lina lizathatha umhlaba wabo, njengokuthembisa kukaThixo uNkulunkulu.
6 and you have been very strong to keep and to do the whole that is written in the Scroll of the Law of Moses, so as not to turn aside from it right or left,
Qinani kakhulu; linanzelele ukuthi lilalela konke okulotshwe eGwalweni lwemiThetho kaMosi, lingaphambukelanga kwesokudla kumbe esenxele.
7 so as not to go in among these nations, these who are left with you; and you do not make mention of the name of their gods, nor do you swear, nor do you serve them, nor do you bow yourselves to them;
Lingaze lazisondeza ezizweni lezi eziphakathi kwenu; lingaze labiza amagama abonkulunkulu bazo kumbe lifunge ngabo. Akumelanga ukuthi libasebenzele lokubakhothamela.
8 but you cleave to your God YHWH, as you have done until this day.
Kodwa kumele libambelele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengalokhu eselikwenze kwaze kwaba khathesi.
9 And YHWH is dispossessing great and mighty nations from before you; as for you, none has stood in your presence until this day;
UThixo usezixotshile phambi kwenu izizwe ezilamandla; kuze kube lamhla kakho owenelisa ukumelana lani.
10 one man of you pursues a thousand, for your God YHWH [is] He who is fighting for you, as He has spoken to you;
Oyedwa wenu uyenelisa ukwehlula abantu abayinkulungwane eyodwa ngenxa yokuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uyalilwela njengokuthembisa kwakhe.
11 and you have been very watchful for yourselves to love your God YHWH.
Ngakho-ke nanzelelani ukuthi liyamthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
12 But—if you turn back at all and have cleaved to the remnant of these nations, these who are left with you, and intermarried with them, and gone in to them, and they to you,
Kodwa lingabaleka beselisiba lobungane lalabo abasindileyo phakathi kwezizwe lezi ezizasala phakathi kwenu njalo lingavumelana lokuthathana lokudlelana lazo,
13 certainly know that your God YHWH is not continuing to dispossess these nations from before you, and they have been to you for a trap, and for a snare, and for a scourge, in your sides, and for thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground which your God YHWH has given to you.
lapho lingaba leqiniso lokuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kasoze azixotshe izizwe phambi kwenu. Kodwa-ke zizakuba yimijibila lezithiyo kini, zizakuba yiziswebhu emihlane yenu lameva emehlweni enu, lize libhujiswe elizweni leli elihle uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
14 And behold, I am going, today, in the way of all the earth, and you have known—with all your heart, and with all your soul—that there has not fallen one thing of all the good things which your God YHWH has spoken concerning you; the whole have come to you; there has not failed of it one thing.
Khathesi sengizahamba ngendlela yomhlaba wonke. Liyazi ngezinhliziyo zenu lemiphefumulo ukuthi kasikho isithembiso lasinye esihle phakathi kwalezo elazinikwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esehlulekayo. Zonke izithembiso sezagcwaliswa; kasikho lesisodwa esehlulekayo.
15 And it has been, as there has come on you all the good thing which your God YHWH has spoken to you, so YHWH brings on you the whole of the evil thing, until His destroying you from off this good ground which your God YHWH has given to you;
Kodwa njengoba zonke izithembiso ezinhle zikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu seziphumelele, kunjalo uThixo uzalilethela bonke ububi alethusela ngabo, aze alibhubhise elizweni leli elihle alinike lona.
16 in your transgressing the covenant of your God YHWH which He commanded you, and you have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them, then the anger of YHWH has burned against you, and you have perished quickly from off the good land which He has given to you.”
Lingephula isivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalilayayo ngaso liyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu libakhothamele, ulaka lukaThixo luzavutha kini, njalo lizabhubha ngokuphangisa elizweni elihle alinike lona.”
