UJoshuwa 7
1 Kodwa abako-Israyeli bephula umthetho ngokuphathelane lengcebo eyayehlukaniselwe uThixo; u-Akhani indodana kaKhami, indodana kaZabhidi, indodana kaZera, owesizwana sakoJuda, wathatha ezinye zakhona. Ngakho ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha kwabako-Israyeli.
The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
2 UJoshuwa wasethumela amadoda esuka eJerikho esiya e-Ayi eseduzane leBhethi-Aveni ngempumalanga yeBhetheli wathi kubo: “Hambani liyehlola lelolizwe.” Ngakho amadoda aphuma ayalihlola ilizwe.
Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 Bathi bephindela kuJoshuwa bafika bathi, “Akudingeki ukuthi lonke ibutho liyelwisana le-Ayi. Thumela amadoda azinkulungwane ezimbili kumbe ezintathu nje ukuze ayoyithumba njalo ungaze wadinisa ibutho lonke, ngenxa yokuthi lelodolobho lilabantu abalutshwana.”
On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”
4 Amadoda angaba zinkulungwane ezintathu asuka ahamba kodwa ehlulwa ngamadoda e-Ayi, wona
So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 abulala amadoda angamatshumi amathathu lesithupha. Baxotsha abako-Israyeli besuka esangweni ledolobho baze bayabatshiya enkwalini bababulalela ekwehleni. Bathi besizwa lokhu abantu baba lokwesaba okukhulu, baphelelwa ngamandla.
And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 UJoshuwa wadabula izigqoko zakhe wathi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo, wala elokhu enjalo kwaze kwahlwa. Abadala bako-Israyeli labo benza njalo, basebezithela ngothuli emakhanda abo.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
7 UJoshuwa wasesithi, “Maye, Thixo Wobukhosi, wabachaphiselani iJodani lababantu ukuzabanikela ezandleni zama-Amori ukuze asibhubhise? Ngabe sasuthiseka ngokuzihlalela kwelinye iphetsheya leJodani!
“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
8 Maye, Thixo kuyini engingakutsho, njengoba u-Israyeli esebhuqwe yizitha zakhe?
O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
9 AmaKhenani labanye abantu belizwe bazakuzwa ngalokhu besebesihanqa besule ibizo lethu emhlabeni. Pho kuyini ozakwenzela ibizo lakho elikhulu kangaka na?”
When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
10 UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Sukuma. Kuyini okwenzayo uthe mbo ngobuso bakho?
But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 Abako-Israyeli bonile; bephule isivumelwano sami engabalaya ukuthi basigcine. Sebethethe ezinye izinto ezahlukaniselwe mina; bebile, baqamba amanga, sebezifake empangweni yabo.
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
12 Yikho abako-Israyeli bengeke bamelana lezitha zabo; bayabafulathela bebaleka ngoba sebeyinto efanele ukubhujiswa. Kangisoze ngibe lani ngaphandle kokuthi lichithe lokho okwakwehlukaniselwe ukubhujiswa.
This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
13 Hamba ungcwelise abantu. Ubatshele uthi, ‘Zingcweliseni ukulungiselela kusasa; ngoba lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli ukuthi: Lokho okwahlukaniselwe uThixo kuphakathi kwenu, lina bako-Israyeli. Kalingeke limelane lezitha zenu ngaphandle kokuba selikukhuphile.
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
14 Ekuseni kumele lisondeze isizwana ngesizwana. Isizwana esikhethwa nguThixo kuzamele sisondele phambili usendo ngosendo; usendo oluzakhethwa nguThixo luzasondela imuli ngemuli; imuli ezakhethwa nguThixo izasondela umuntu ngamunye.
In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
15 Lowo ozafunyanwa elezinto ezahlukaniselwe uThixo uzatshiswa ngomlilo, lakho konke alakho. Wephule isivumelwano sikaThixo njalo wenze into elihlazo phakathi kuka-Israyeli.’”
The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
16 Kusesele ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa wenza u-Israyeli wasondela ngezizwana, inkatho yadla koJuda.
So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
17 Insendo zakoJuda zasondela, inkatho yadla abakoZera. Wasondeza insendo zakoZera ngezimuli. Inkatho yadla uZabhidi.
He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
18 UJoshuwa wasondeza imuli kaZabhidi indoda yinye ngayinye, inkatho yadla u-Akhani indodana kaKhami, indodana kaZabhidi, indodana kaZera owesizwana sakoJuda.
And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19 UJoshuwa wathi ku-Akhani, “Ndodana yami, dumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, umuphe udumo. Ngitshela lokho okwenzileyo, ungaze wangifihlela.”
So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 U-Akhani waphendula wathi, “Liqiniso! Ngonile phambi kukaThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli. Nanku engikwenzileyo:
“It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
21 Ngathi ngibona phakathi kwempango ingubo enhle yaseBhabhiloni, lamashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amabili lomgqala wegolide olesisindo samashekeli angamatshumi amahlanu ngakuhawukela, ngakuthatha. Ngakumbela phansi ethenteni lami, isiliva singaphansi.”
When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 UJoshuwa wathuma izithunywa, zagijima zaya ethenteni lakhe, zakufumana kufihlilwe ethenteni lakhe, isiliva singaphansi.
So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23 Bathatha izinto ezazisethenteni, baziletha kuJoshuwa lebantwini bonke bako-Israyeli, bazichaya phambi kukaThixo.
They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
24 UJoshuwa labo bonke abako-Israyeli bathatha u-Akhani indodana kaZera lesiliva, ingubo, lomgqala wegolide, lamadodana lamadodakazi akhe, lenkomo zakhe, obabhemi kanye lezimvu, ithente lakhe lakho konke ayelakho bakusa esiHotsheni se-Akhori.
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25 UJoshuwa wathi, “Kungani usilethele uhlupho olungaka? UThixo uzakwehlisela uhlupho lamhlanje.” Bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe, njalo bathi sebeqedile ukukhanda labanye ngamatshe babatshisa.
“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
26 Babuthelela inqwaba yamatshe amakhulu phezu kuka-Akhani alokhu ekhona lalamhlanje. Ukuvutha kolaka lukaThixo kwahle kwaphela. Ngakho leyondawo lalamhlanje ilokhu isabizwa ngokuthi yisiGodi sika-Akhori.
And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
