UJoshuwa 23
1 Ngemva kwesikhathi eside njalo uThixo esephumuze abako-Israyeli kuzozonke izitha zabo ezazibagombolozele, uJoshuwa ngalesosikhathi esekhulile eseleminyaka eminengi,
A long time later, after the Lord had given peace to the Israelites from conflict with their enemies around them, Joshua, by now really old,
2 wabiza bonke abako-Israyeli, abadala babo, abakhokheli babo, abahluleli babo leziphathamandla zabo wathi kubo: “Sengimdala njalo sengiluphele kakhulu.
summoned all the Israelites—the elders, leaders, judges, and officials—and told them, “I'm old, getting on in years.
3 Lina ngokwenu selikubonile konke lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akwenzileyo kuzozonke lezi izizwe esenzela lina; nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu owalilwelayo.
You've seen everything the Lord your God has done to all the nations on your behalf—the Lord your God has been fighting for you.
4 Khumbulani ukuthi ngalabela njani ukuba kube yilifa lenu lezizwana zenu wonke umhlaba wezizwe ezasalayo, izizwe engazinqobayo, phakathi kweJodani loLwandle Olukhulu entshonalanga.
I have allotted the land of the remaining nations for you to own, as well as the nations already conquered, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.
5 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngokwakhe uzabaxotsha endleleni yenu. Uzabasusa lina lingakafiki, njalo lina lizathatha umhlaba wabo, njengokuthembisa kukaThixo uNkulunkulu.
The Lord your God will make them retreat from you. He will drive them out before you and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.
6 Qinani kakhulu; linanzelele ukuthi lilalela konke okulotshwe eGwalweni lwemiThetho kaMosi, lingaphambukelanga kwesokudla kumbe esenxele.
Be sure to observe everything that is written in the book of the Law of Moses. Don't stray from it, either to the left or to the right.
7 Lingaze lazisondeza ezizweni lezi eziphakathi kwenu; lingaze labiza amagama abonkulunkulu bazo kumbe lifunge ngabo. Akumelanga ukuthi libasebenzele lokubakhothamela.
Don't associate with the nations that are left. Don't mention the names of their gods, and don't swear by them, worship them, or bow down to them.
8 Kodwa kumele libambelele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengalokhu eselikwenze kwaze kwaba khathesi.
Stay close to the Lord your God, as you have done up to now.
9 UThixo usezixotshile phambi kwenu izizwe ezilamandla; kuze kube lamhla kakho owenelisa ukumelana lani.
The Lord has driven out strong, powerful nations before you. No one has been able to stand up to you to this day.
10 Oyedwa wenu uyenelisa ukwehlula abantu abayinkulungwane eyodwa ngenxa yokuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uyalilwela njengokuthembisa kwakhe.
Just one of you can chase away a thousand enemies, for the Lord your God is fighting for you, as he promised you.
11 Ngakho-ke nanzelelani ukuthi liyamthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
Take great care to love the Lord your God.
12 Kodwa lingabaleka beselisiba lobungane lalabo abasindileyo phakathi kwezizwe lezi ezizasala phakathi kwenu njalo lingavumelana lokuthathana lokudlelana lazo,
For if you do turn from him, and adopt the ways of the nations that are left, if you intermarry with them, associating with one other,
13 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.
you can be absolutely sure that the Lord your God will definitely not drive out these nations before you. On the contrary, they will be a trap and a snare to you, a whip on you back and thorns in your eyes until you die out completely from this good land the Lord your God has given you.
14 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.
Now I am about to die, the fate of every living thing on the earth. Deep down you know that not a single one of the Lord's good promises has failed. Everything has come true. Not one has failed.
15 Kodwa njengoba zonke izithembiso ezinhle zikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu seziphumelele, kunjalo uThixo uzalilethela bonke ububi alethusela ngabo, aze alibhubhise elizweni leli elihle alinike lona.
But in the same way that you received all the good things that the Lord you God promised, the Lord will bring on you all the bad things he has threatened until you're completely wiped out from this good land the Lord your God has given you.
16 Lingephula isivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalilayayo ngaso liyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu libakhothamele, ulaka lukaThixo luzavutha kini, njalo lizabhubha ngokuphangisa elizweni elihle alinike lona.”
If you break the agreement the Lord your God made with you, and you go and worship other gods, bowing down before them, then the Lord will become angry with you, and you will be quickly wiped out from the good land he has given you.”
