< UJoshuwa 17 >
1 Lesi kwakuyisabelo sesizwana sikaManase njengezibulo likaJosefa. UMakhiri izibulo likaManase, ukhokho wamaGiliyadi, wathatha iGiliyadi leBhashani ngenxa yokuthi amaMakhire ayengamaqhawe amakhulu.
2 Ngakho isabelo lesi sasingesabantu bonke bakoManase, insendo zika-Abhiyezeri, uHelekhi, u-Asiriyeli, uShekhemu, uHeferi loShemida. Lezi ngezinye izizukulwane zesilisa zikaManase indodana kaJosefa ngokwensendo zazo.
3 UZelofehadi indodana kaHeferi, indodana kaGiliyadi, indodana kaMakhiri indodana kaManase, wayengelamadodana kodwa wayelamadodakazi wodwa, amabizo awo kwakunguMahila, uNowa, uHogila, uMilikha loThiza.
4 Aya ku-Eliyazari umphristi, loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye labakhokheli athi, “UThixo walaya uMosi ukuthi asabele ilifa kanye labanewethu.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wabanika ilifa ndawonye labanewabo bakayise, kulandelwa umlayo kaThixo.
5 Isabelo sikaManase sasigoqela iziqinti ezilitshumi zomhlabathi emhlubulweni weGiliyadi leBhashani empumalanga yeJodani,
6 ngenxa yokuthi amadodakazi esizwana sikaManase athola ilifa kanye labafowabo. IGiliyadi yayingeyezizukulwana zikaManase.
7 Ilizwe likaManase lalisukela e-Asheri lisiya eMikhimethathi empumalanga kweShekhemu. Umngcele wawudabula usiya usiyagoqela abantu ababehlala e-Eni-Thaphuwa.
8 (UManase wayelomhlaba elizweni leThaphuwa, kodwa iThaphuwa ngokwayo, emngceleni kaManase, yayingeyama-Efrayimi.)
9 Umngcele waqhubeka eningizimu usiya oDongeni lweKhana. Kwakulamadolobho ka-Efrayimi ayakhelwe phakathi kwamadolobho kaManase, kodwa umngcele kaManase wawulicele langenyakatho lodonga njalo uphelela olwandle.
10 Eningizimu ilizwe lalingelika-Efrayimi, enyakatho lingelikaManase. Ilizwe likaManase lalifika olwandle njalo lingcelezelane lo-Asheri enyakatho kanye lo-Isakhari empumalanga.
11 Phakathi kuka-Isakhari lo-Asheri uManase wayeloBhethi-Shani, u-Ibhiliyami labantu beDori, abe-Endo, abeThanakhi leMegido, ndawonye lemizana ababakhelane layo (owesithathu eluhlwini kwakunguNafothi).
12 Kodwa-ke abakoManase kabenelisanga ukuthatha amadolobho la ngoba amaKhenani ayezimisele ukuhlala kuleyondawo.
13 Lanxa kunjalo, kwathi abako-Israyeli sebelamandla amakhulu, benza amaKhenani izigqili zabo kodwa kababaxotshanga kokuphela.
14 Abantu bakoJosefa bathi kuJoshuwa, “Kungani lisinike isabelo esisodwa kuphela lengxenye eyodwa yelifa na? Singabantu abanengi kakhulu njalo uThixo usibusise kakhulu.”
15 UJoshuwa wabaphendula wathi; “Nxa libanengi kakhulu, njalo nxa ilizwe lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi lilincinyane kini, ngenani eguswini liyecenta umhlaba ube ngowenu elizweni lamaPherizi lelamaRefayi.”
16 Abantu bakoJosefa baphendula bathi, “Ilizwe lamaqaqa kaliseneli njalo amaKhenani wonke ahlala emagcekeni alezinqola zensimbi, bonke abaseBhethi-Shani lemizana yakhona lalabo ababehlala esigodini seJezerili.”
17 Kodwa uJoshuwa wakhuluma labendlu kaJosefa, ku-Efrayimi loManase wathi, “Libanengi njalo lilamandla amakhulu kakhulu. Kalisoze libe lesabelo esisodwa kuphela,
18 kodwa lelizwe lamaqaqa aliligusu. Licenteni lize liyefika lapho eliphelela khona kube ngelenu; lanxa amaKhenani elezinqola zensimbi njalo lanxa elamandla, lingawaxotsha.”
