UJoshuwa 1
1 Ngemva kokufa kukaMosi inceku kaThixo, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, umsekeli kaMosi:
And after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it happened that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, and he said to him:
2 “UMosi inceku yami usefile. Ngakho-ke, wena labantu bonke laba, lungiselelani ukuchapha umfula uJodani liye elizweni esengizalinika lona, abako-Israyeli.
“Moses, my servant, has died. Rise up, and cross this Jordan, you and all the people with you, into the land which I will give to the sons of Israel.
3 Ngizalinika zonke izindawo lapho elizanyathela khona ngezinyawo zenu njengokuthembisa engakwenza kuMosi.
I will deliver to you every place that the step of your foot will tread upon, just as I said to Moses.
4 Ilizwe lenu lizasukela enkangala yeLebhanoni lasemfuleni omkhulu uYufrathe, ilizwe lonke lamaHithi, lize liyekhawula olwandle olukhulu entshonalanga.
From the desert and from Lebanon, even to the great river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, as far as the great sea opposite the setting of the sun, shall be your border.
5 Kakulamuntu ozenelisa ukumelana lani zonke insuku zokuphila kwenu. Njengoba ngangiloMosi, ngizakuba lawe; kangisoze ngikutshiye, kangisoze ngikudele.
No one will be able to resist you during all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so will I be with you. I will not leave you, nor will I forsake you.
6 Qina ube lesibindi ngenxa yokuthi uzakhokhela abantu laba ukuze bayethatha ilizwe elilifa labo engafunga kubokhokho babo ukuthi ngizabanika lona.
Be strengthened and be steadfast. For you shall divide by lot, to this people, the land about which I swore to their fathers that I would deliver it to them.
7 Qina ube lesibindi. Ugcine yonke imithetho owayiphiwa nguMosi inceku yami, ungaze waphambuka kuyo uye kwesokunene kumbe kwesokhohlo ukuze uphumelele kuzozonke izindawo ozakuya kuzo.
Therefore, be strengthened and be very steadfast, so that you may observe and accomplish the entire law, which Moses, my servant, instructed to you. You may not turn aside from it to the right, nor to the left. So may you understand all that you should do.
8 INcwadi yoMthetho le kayingasuki emlonyeni wakho, cabanga ngayo emini lebusuku ukuze unanzelele ukugcina konke okulotshwe kuyo. Ngokwena njalo uzaphumelela.
The book of this law shall not depart from your mouth. Instead, you shall meditate upon it, day and night, so that you may observe and do all the things that are written in it. Then you shall direct your way and understand it.
9 Angikulayanga na? Qina ube lesibindi, ungethuki njalo ungalahli ithemba, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba lawe loba kungaphi lapho oya khona.”
Behold, I am instructing you. Be strengthened, and be steadfast. Do not dread, and do not fear. For the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you may go.”
10 Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa walaya iziphathamandla zabantu wathi:
And Joshua instructed the leaders of the people, saying: “Cross through the midst of the camp, and command the people, and say:
11 “Dabulani phakathi kwezihonqo litshele abantu ukuthi, ‘Lungisani imiphako yenu. Ensukwini ezintathu kusukela lamhla lizachapha uJodani lapha ukuze lingene liyethatha ilizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu!’”
‘Prepare your food supplies. For after the third day, you shall cross the Jordan, and you shall enter so as to possess the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.’”
12 UJoshuwa wathi kwabakoRubheni, labakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sikaManase,
Likewise, he said to the Reubenites and to the Gadites, and to the one half tribe of Manasseh:
13 “Khumbulani umlayo uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika wona owokuthi: ‘UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzaliphumuza ngokulinika ilizwe leli.’
“Remember the words, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you rest, and has given you all the land.’
14 Amakhosikazi enu, abantwabenu lezifuyo zenu zingahlala elizweni elalinikwa nguMosi empumalanga yeJodani, kodwa ibutho lenu lonke, lihlome liphelele, kumele lichaphe ngaphambi kwabafowenu. Kuzamele lincedise abafowenu,
Your wives and sons, as well as the cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses delivered to you beyond the Jordan. But as for you, pass over with weapons, before your brothers, all you who are strong of hand, and fight on their behalf,
15 uThixo aze abaphumuze, njengalokho alenzele khona lina, labo baze bathathe ilizwe lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu abanika lona. Ngemva kwalokho selingabuyela liyehlala elizweni lenu, uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika lona ngempumalanga yeJodani.”
until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, just as he has given to you, and until they also possess the land, which the Lord your God will give to them. And so shall you be returned to the land of your possession. And you shall live in the land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to you beyond the Jordan, opposite the rising of the sun.”
16 Baphendula uJoshuwa bathi, “Konke osilaya khona sizakwenza, lalapho osithuma khona sizahamba.
And they responded to Joshua, and they said: “All that you have instructed to us, we shall do. And wherever you will send us, we shall go.
17 Njengalokhu salalela uMosi ngokupheleleyo, lawe sizakulalela. Sifisa ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho abe lawe njengoba wayeloMosi.
Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so shall we obey you also. But may the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses.
18 Yiloba ngubani ohlamukela ilizwi lakho njalo engalaleli lokho okutshoyo, lalokho oyabe ukulaya, kumele abulawe. Kumele uqine ube lesibindi!”
Whoever will contradict your mouth, and whoever will not obey all of your words, which you will instruct to him, let him die. But may you be strengthened, and may you act manfully.”
