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 unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, [even] Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: 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 the other side of the flood, 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 unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

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

I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: 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 unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto 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 unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

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, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess 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 warred against Israel, and 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 unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: 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 Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 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 drave them out from before you, [even] the two kings of the Amorites; [but] 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 have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

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

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

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 seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

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

And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, 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 the LORD our God, he [it is] that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

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

And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: [therefore] will we also serve the LORD; 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 unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

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

If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

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

And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.

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

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, 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 put away, [said he], the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

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

And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

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 took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that [was] by the sanctuary of the LORD.

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 unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

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

So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto 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 the LORD, died, [being] an 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 Timnath-serah, which [is] in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill 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 the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done 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 the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

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 a hill [that pertained to] Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.