UJoshuwa 24

1 Ngakho uJoshuwa wabuthanisa zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli eShekhemu. Wamema bonke abadala, abakhokheli, abahluleli leziphathamandla zako-Israyeli, njalo bazethula phambi kukaNkulunkulu.

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2 UJoshuwa wathi ebantwini bonke, “UThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli uthi: ‘Kudala okhokho benu, okugoqela uThera uyise ka-Abhrahama loNahori, babehlala ngaphetsheya koMfula njalo bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.

And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.

3 Kodwa ngathatha uyihlo u-Abhrahama elizweni elingaphetsheya koMfula ngamkhokhelela eKhenani ngamnika izizukulwane ezinengi. Ngamnika u-Isaka,

And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

4 njalo u-Isaka ngamnika uJakhobe lo-Esawu. Nganika ilizwe lonke elilamaqaqa eleSeyiri ku-Esawu, kodwa uJakhobe lamadodana akhe baya eGibhithe.

And I gave to Isaac, Jacob and Esau. And I gave to Esau mount Seir to possess it. And Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt.

5 Ngasengithuma uMosi lo-Aroni, njalo ngajezisa amaGibhithe ngalokho engakwenza khonale ngasengilikhupha khona.

And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.

6 Ekukhupheni kwami okhokho benu eGibhithe, beza olwandle njalo amaGibhithe axotshana labo ngezinqola lamabhiza baze bayafika eLwandle Olubomvu.

And I brought your fathers out of Egypt. And ye came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea.

7 Kodwa bakhala kuThixo befuna uncedo yena waseletha umnyama phakathi kwenu lamaGibhithe; waletha ulwandle phezu kwabo wabembesa ngalo. Lazibonela ngamehlo enu lokho engakwenza kumaGibhithe. Laselihlala enkangala okwesikhathi eside.

And when they cried out to Jehovah, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt, and ye dwelt in the wilderness many days.

8 Ngaliletha elizweni lama-Amori ayehlala empumalanga yeJodani. Balwisana lani, kodwa mina ngabanikela ezandleni zenu. Ngababhubhisa phambi kwenu njalo laselithatha ilizwe labo.

And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt beyond the Jordan. And they fought with you. And I gave them into your hand, and ye possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

9 Lapho uBhalaki indodana kaZiphori inkosi yaseMowabi, alungiselela ukulwisana lo-Israyeli, wathumela uBhalamu indodana kaBheyori ukuthi aliqalekise.

Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,

10 Kodwa ngala ukulalela uBhalamu, ngakho walibusisa njalonjalo mina ngasengilihlenga esandleni sakhe.

but I would not hearken to Balaam. Therefore he blessed you greatly. So I delivered you out of his hand.

11 Laselichapha uJodani leza eJerikho. Izakhamizi zeJerikho zalwisana lani njengalokho okwenziwa ngama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaKhenani, amaHithi, amaGigashi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, kodwa ngabanikela ezandleni zenu.

And ye went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And I delivered them into your hand.

12 Ngathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu, olwabaxotsha phambi kwenu kanye lamakhosi amabili ama-Amori. Kalizange likwenze ngenkemba yenu langedandili lenu.

And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites, not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

13 Ngakho ngalinika ilizwe elingazanga liliginqele lamadolobho elingazange liwakhe; njalo lihlala phakathi kwawo njalo lisidla ezivinini zama-oliva elingazihlanyelanga.’

And I gave you a land in which thou had not labored, and cities which ye did not build, and ye dwell in it. Ye eat of vineyards and oliveyards which ye did not plant.

14 Ngakho mesabeni uThixo limkhonze ngokuthembeka konke. Lahlani onkulunkulu ababekhonzwa ngokhokho benu ngaphetsheya koMfula laseGibhithe, likhonze uThixo.

Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Jehovah.

15 Kodwa nxa ukukhonza uThixo kukhanya kungathandeki kini, khethani phakathi kwenu namhlanje lowo elizamkhonza, kumbe ngonkulunkulu okhokho benu ababebakhonza ngaphetsheya koMfula kumbe onkulunkulu bama-Amori, lawo elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa mina lendlu yami sizakhonza uThixo.”

And if it seems evil to you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

16 Abantu basebephendula besithi, “Akube khatshana lathi ukuthi silahle uThixo ukuze sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu!

And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods.

17 KwakunguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ngokwakhe owasikhuphayo thina kanye labobaba eGibhithe sisuka elizweni lobugqili, wasesenza izimanga ezinkulu emehlweni ethu. Wasivikela kulolonke uhambo lwethu lakuzo zonke izizwe.

For Jehovah our God, he it is who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed.

18 Njalo uThixo wazixotsha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, okugoqela ama-Amori ayehlala elizweni. Lathi sizamkhonza uThixo ngoba unguNkulunkulu wethu.”

And Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve Jehovah, for he is our God.

19 UJoshuwa wathi ebantwini, “Kalenelisi ukumkhonza uThixo. UnguNkulunkulu ongcwele; unguNkulunkulu olobukhwele. Kasoze alixolele ekuhlamukeni kwenu lezonweni zenu.

And Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins.

20 Nxa lingatshiya uThixo beselikhonza abanye onkulunkulu bezizweni uzaliphendukela alehlisele umonakalo aliqede du, yena ubelungile.”

If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.

21 Kodwa abantu bathi kuJoshuwa, “Hatshi! Sizamkhonza uThixo.”

And the people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve Jehovah.

22 UJoshuwa wathi, “Yini elizifakazelayo ukuthi selikhethe ukukhonza uThixo.” Baphendula bathi, “Yebo singofakazi.”

And Joshua said to the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen for you, Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

23 UJoshuwa wathi kubo, “Ngakho-ke lahlani bonke onkulunkulu bezizweni abaphakathi kwenu beselinikela inhliziyo zenu kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli.”

Now therefore, he said, put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

24 Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa, “Sizamkhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu simlalele.”

And the people said to Joshua, we will serve Jehovah our God, and we will hearken to his voice.

25 Ngalelolanga uJoshuwa wenzela abantu isivumelwano, njalo wabenzela imithetho lemilayo khonapho eShekhemu.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26 UJoshuwa waloba konke lokhu oGwalweni lwemiThetho kaNkulunkulu. Wasethatha ilitshe elikhulu walimisa phansi kwesihlahla somʼOkhi eduzane lendawo engcwele kaThixo.

And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. And he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah.

27 Wathi ebantwini bonke, “Khangelani! Ilitshe leli lizakuba yibufakazi kithi sonke. Selizwile wonke amazwi akhulunywe nguThixo kithi. Lizakuba ngofakazi wokulilahla nxa lingakhulumi iqiniso kuNkulunkulu.”

And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of Jehovah which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.

28 UJoshuwa wasetshela abantu ukuba bahambe, yilowo esiya elifeni lakhe.

So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

29 Ngemva kwezinto lezi, uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaThixo wafa eseleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.

And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

30 Njalo bamngcwaba elizweni alizuza njengelifa, eThimnathi-Sera elizweni elilamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi enyakatho yentaba yeGashi.

And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

31 Abako-Israyeli bamkhonza uThixo ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaJoshuwa labadala kulaye ababesele bephila njalo bebone zonke izinto uThixo ayezenzele abako-Israyeli.

And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel.

32 Njalo amathambo kaJosefa, abako-Israyeli ababesuke lawo eGibhithe, angcwatshelwa eShekhemu esiqintini somhlaba leso uJakhobe asithenga ngenhlamvu ezilikhulu zesiliva emadodaneni kaHamori, uyise kaShekhemu. Leli laba yilifa lezizukulwane zikaJosefa.

And they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Sicima, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought from the Amorites who dwelt in Sicima for a hundred ewe-lambs. And he gave it to Joseph for a portion.

33 U-Eliyazari indodana ka-Aroni wafa wasengcwatshelwa eGibhiya, eyayabelwe indodana yakhe uFinehasi elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. And they buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill-country of Ephraim.