< 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.
2 UJoshuwa wasethumela amadoda esuka eJerikho esiya e-Ayi eseduzane leBhethi-Aveni ngempumalanga yeBhetheli wathi kubo: “Hambani liyehlola lelolizwe.” Ngakho amadoda aphuma ayalihlola ilizwe.
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.”
4 Amadoda angaba zinkulungwane ezintathu asuka ahamba kodwa ehlulwa ngamadoda e-Ayi, wona
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.
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.
7 UJoshuwa wasesithi, “Maye, Thixo Wobukhosi, wabachaphiselani iJodani lababantu ukuzabanikela ezandleni zama-Amori ukuze asibhubhise? Ngabe sasuthiseka ngokuzihlalela kwelinye iphetsheya leJodani!
8 Maye, Thixo kuyini engingakutsho, njengoba u-Israyeli esebhuqwe yizitha zakhe?
9 AmaKhenani labanye abantu belizwe bazakuzwa ngalokhu besebesihanqa besule ibizo lethu emhlabeni. Pho kuyini ozakwenzela ibizo lakho elikhulu kangaka na?”
10 UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Sukuma. Kuyini okwenzayo uthe mbo ngobuso bakho?
11 Abako-Israyeli bonile; bephule isivumelwano sami engabalaya ukuthi basigcine. Sebethethe ezinye izinto ezahlukaniselwe mina; bebile, baqamba amanga, sebezifake empangweni yabo.
12 Yikho abako-Israyeli bengeke bamelana lezitha zabo; bayabafulathela bebaleka ngoba sebeyinto efanele ukubhujiswa. Kangisoze ngibe lani ngaphandle kokuthi lichithe lokho okwakwehlukaniselwe ukubhujiswa.
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.
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.
15 Lowo ozafunyanwa elezinto ezahlukaniselwe uThixo uzatshiswa ngomlilo, lakho konke alakho. Wephule isivumelwano sikaThixo njalo wenze into elihlazo phakathi kuka-Israyeli.’”
16 Kusesele ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa wenza u-Israyeli wasondela ngezizwana, inkatho yadla koJuda.
17 Insendo zakoJuda zasondela, inkatho yadla abakoZera. Wasondeza insendo zakoZera ngezimuli. Inkatho yadla uZabhidi.
18 UJoshuwa wasondeza imuli kaZabhidi indoda yinye ngayinye, inkatho yadla u-Akhani indodana kaKhami, indodana kaZabhidi, indodana kaZera owesizwana sakoJuda.
19 UJoshuwa wathi ku-Akhani, “Ndodana yami, dumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, umuphe udumo. Ngitshela lokho okwenzileyo, ungaze wangifihlela.”
20 U-Akhani waphendula wathi, “Liqiniso! Ngonile phambi kukaThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli. Nanku engikwenzileyo:
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.”
22 UJoshuwa wathuma izithunywa, zagijima zaya ethenteni lakhe, zakufumana kufihlilwe ethenteni lakhe, isiliva singaphansi.
23 Bathatha izinto ezazisethenteni, baziletha kuJoshuwa lebantwini bonke bako-Israyeli, bazichaya phambi kukaThixo.
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.
25 UJoshuwa wathi, “Kungani usilethele uhlupho olungaka? UThixo uzakwehlisela uhlupho lamhlanje.” Bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe, njalo bathi sebeqedile ukukhanda labanye ngamatshe babatshisa.
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.
