UJoshuwa 22
1 UJoshuwa wamema abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sikaManase
At the same time Josue called the Rubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses,
2 wathi kubo, “Selenze konke uMosi inceku kaThixo eyakulayayo, njalo lingilalele kukho konke engililaye ngakho.
And said to them: You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you: you have also obeyed me in all things,
3 Okwesikhathi eside khathesi, kuze kube lamuhla, kalizange lihlamukele abafowenu kodwa lenze umsebenzi lowo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinike wona.
Neither have you left your brethren this long time, until this present day, keeping the commandment of the Lord your God.
4 Njengoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wanika abafowenu ukuphumula njengokuthembisa kwakhe, buyelani emakhaya enu elizweni uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika lona ngaphetsheya kweJodani.
Therefore as the Lord your God hath given your brethren rest and peace, as he promised: return, and go to your dwellings, and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan:
5 Kodwa linanzelele kakhulu ukuthi lilondoloza umlayo lomthetho uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika wona: Ukuthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, ukuhamba ezindleleni zakhe zonke, ukulalela imilayo yakhe, ukubambelela kuye lokumsebenzela ngenhliziyo yenu yonke lomphefumulo wenu wonke.”
Yet so that you observe attentively, and in work fulfill the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you: that you love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commandments, and cleave to him, and serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul.
6 UJoshuwa wasebabusisa wathi kabahambe; yikho basebesiya emizini yabo.
And Josue blessed them, and sent them away, and they returned to their dwellings.
7 Ingxenye yesizwana sakoManase uMosi wayeyinike ilizwe eBhashani, kwathi eyinye ingxenye yesizwana uJoshuwa wayeyinike indawo lapho okwakwakhele abafowabo eJodani. Kwathi uJoshuwa esethe kabahambe emakhaya, wababusisa
Now to half the tribe of Manasses, Moses had given a possession in Basan: and therefore to the half that remained, Josue gave a lot among the rest of their brethren beyond the Jordan to the west. And when he sent them away to their dwellings and had blessed them,
8 wathi, “Buyelani emakhaya enu lenotho yenu enengi, lilemihlambi emikhulu yezifuyo, lilesiliva, igolide ithusi lensimbi, lamalembu amanengi, beselisabelana labafowenu lokho elakuthumba ezitheni zenu.”
He said to them: With much substance and riches, you return to your settlements, with silver and gold, brass and iron, and variety of raiment: divide the prey of your enemies with your brethren.
9 Ngakho abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase batshiya abako-Israyeli eShilo eseKhenani babuyela eGiliyadi, ilizwe labo, ababelizuze kulandela umlayo kaThixo awethula ngoMosi.
So the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses returned, and parted from the children of Israel in Silo, which is in Chanaan, to go into Galaad the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
10 Bathi sebefike eGelithothi eduzane leJodani elizweni leKhenani, abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase bakha i-alithari elikhulu eduzane leJodani.
And when they were come to the banks of the Jordan, in the land of Chanaan, they built an altar immensely great near the Jordan.
11 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwe ukuthi sebakhe i-alithari emngceleni weKhenani eGelithothi duzane leJodani eceleni lako-Israyeli,
And when the children of Israel had heard of it, and certain messengers had brought them an account that the children of Ruben, and of Cad, and the half tribe of Manasses had built an altar in the land of Chanaan, upon the banks of the Jordan, over against the children of Israel:
12 umphakathi wonke wako-Israyeli wabuthana eShilo ukulungiselela ukulwa labo empini.
They all assembled in Silo, to go up and fight against them.
13 Ngakho abako-Israyeli bathuma uFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi elizweni leGiliyadi kuRubheni, uGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase.
And in the mean time they sent to them into the land of Galaad, Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest,
14 Waphelekezelwa zinduna ezilitshumi, inye ngayinye ivela phakathi kwezizwe zonke zako-Israyeli njalo iyinhloko yesigaba semuli yensendo zako-Israyeli.
And ten princes with him, one of every tribe.
15 Ekuyeni kwabo eGiliyadi, kuRubheni loGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase bathi kubo:
Who came to the children of Ruben, and of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses, into the land of Galaad, and said to them:
16 “Umphakathi wonke kaThixo uthi: ‘Kungani lisuke langathembeki kuNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli ngale indlela? Kungani lilahle uNkulunkulu lizakhela i-alithari njengokumhlamukela khathesi.
Thus saith all the people of the Lord: What meaneth this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord the God of Israel, building a sacrilegious altar, and revolting from the worship of him?
17 Kambe ukona kukaPheyori kakwanelanga kithi na? Kuze kube lamhla kasikazihlambululi esonweni leso, lanxa umkhuhlane wake wahlasela isizwe sikaThixo!
Is it a small thing to you that you sinned with Beelphegor, and the stain of that crime remaineth in us to this day? and many of the people perished.
18 Selibalekela uThixo na? Nxa lingahlamukela uThixo lamhla, kusasa uzazondela isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli:
And you have forsaken the Lord today, and tomorrow his wrath will rage against all Israel.
19 Nxa umhlaba elilawo ungcolisiwe wozani emhlabeni kaThixo lapho ithabanikeli likaThixo elimi khona beselisabelana umhlaba lathi. Kodwa lingahlamukeli uThixo kumbe thina ngokuzakhela i-alithari lenu, ngaphandle kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
But if you think the land of your possession to be unclean, pass over to the land wherein is the tabernacle of the Lord, and dwell among us: only depart not from the Lord, and from our society, by building an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God.
20 Lapho u-Akhani indodana kaZera aze angathembeki ezintweni ezingcwelisiweyo, isijeziso kasehlelanga isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli yini? Kayisuye yedwa owafela isono sakhe.’”
Did not Achan the son of Zare transgress the commandment of the Lord, and his wrath lay upon all the people of Israel? And he was but one man, and would to God he alone had perished in his wickedness.
21 Ngakho uRubheni, uGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase baphendula abakhokheli bezinsendo zako-Israyeli bathi:
And the children of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses answered the princes of the embassage of Israel:
22 “USomandla, uNkulunkulu uThixo! USomandla uNkulunkulu uThixo! Uyazi! Njalo u-Israyeli kabe lolwazi! Nxa lokhu bekuyikuhlamukela kumbe ukuqholozela uThixo, lingasisindisi lamhlanje.
The Lord the most mighty God, the Lord the most mighty God, he knoweth, and Israel also shall understand: If with the design of transgression we have set up this altar, let him not save us, but punish us immediately:
23 Nxa sazakhela i-alithari lethu ukwenzela ukubalekela uThixo lokunikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele, kumbe ukunikela ngeminikelo yokuthula kulo, uThixo ngokwakhe kasijezise.
And if we did it with that mind, that we might lay upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him require and judge:
24 Hatshi! Sakwenza sisesaba ukuthi kwelinye ilanga izizukulwane zenu zingathi kwezethu, ‘Lilani loThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli?
And not rather with this thought and design, that we should say: Tomorrow your children will say to our children: What have you to do with the Lord the God of Israel?
25 UThixo sewenza iJodani ibe ngumngcele phakathi kwethu lani lina maRubheni lamaGadi! Kalilasabelo kuThixo.’ Ngakho izizukulwane zenu zingenza ukuthi ezethu ziyekele ukwesaba uThixo.
The Lord hath put the river Jordan for a border between us and you, O ye children of Ruben, and ye children of Gad: and therefore you have no part in the Lord. And by this occasion you children shall turn away our children from the fear of the Lord. We therefore thought, it best,
26 Yikho sathi, ‘Kasilungiseni sakhe i-alithari, kodwa hatshi eleminikelo yokutshiswa kumbe imihlatshelo.’
And said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, nor to offer victims,
27 Ngeyinye indlela, kuzakuba yibufakazi phakathi kwethu lani lezizukulwane ezizalandela, ukuthi sizekhonza uThixo endlini yakhe engcwele ngeminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yethu kanye leyokuthula. Ngakho kwelakusasa izizukulwane zenu kazisoze zithi kwezethu, ‘Kalilasabelo kuThixo.’
But for a testimony between us and you, and our posterity and yours, that we may serve the Lord, and that we may have a right to offer both holocausts, and victims and sacrifices of peace offerings: and that your children tomorrow may not say to our children: You have no part in the Lord.
28 Njalo sathi, ‘Bangavele batsho lokhu kithi kumbe kuzizukulwane zethu, sizaphendula sithi: Khangelani emfanekisweni we-alithari likaThixo, elakhiwa ngobaba, hatshi eleminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, kodwa njengobufakazi phakathi kwethu lani.’
And if they will say so, they shall answer them: Behold the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, nor for sacrifice, but for a testimony between us and you.
29 Kukhatshana kithi ukuthi sihlamukele uThixo simfulathele lamhla ngokwakha i-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yamabele lemihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu elimi phambi kwethabanikeli lakhe.”
God keep us from any such wickedness that we should revolt from the Lord, and leave off following his steps, by building an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, beside the altar of the Lord our God, which is erected before his tabernacle.
30 Kwathi uFinehasi umphristi labakhokheli besizwe, abakhokheli bezinsendo zako-Israyeli, sebezwe okwakutshiwo nguRubheni, uGadi loManase bathokoza.
And when Phinees the priest, and the princes of the embassage, who were with him, had heard this, they were satisfied: and they admitted most willingly the words of the children of Ruben, and Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses.
31 UFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi, wathi kuRubheni, uGadi loManase, “Lamhla siyazi ukuthi uThixo ulathi, ngenxa yokuthi kalizange liyekele ukwethembeka phambi kukaThixo kuloludaba. Khathesi selihlenge abako-Israyeli esandleni sikaThixo.”
And Phinees the priest the son of Eleazar said to them: Now we know that the Lord is with us, because you are not guilty of this revolt, and you have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the Lord.
32 UFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi, labakhokheli babuyela eKhenani bevela emhlanganweni wabo labakoRubheni labakoGadi eGiliyadi basebebika kwabako-Israyeli.
And he returned with the princes from the children of Ruben and Gad, out of the land of Galaad, into the land of Chanaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
33 Bathokoza ukuzwa umbiko basebedumisa uNkulunkulu. Kabasakhulumanga njalo ngokuya empini yokubalwisa ukwenzela ukutshabalalisa ilizwe lapho abakoRubheni labakoGadi ababehlala khona.
And the saying pleased all that heard it. And the children of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.
34 Njalo abakoRubheni labakoGadi banika i-alithari lelibizo: UBufakazi Phakathi Kwethu ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu.
And the children of Ruben, and the children of Cad called the altar which they had built, Our testimony, that the Lord is God.
