< Abahluleli 1 >
1 Emva kokufa kukaJoshuwa, abako-Israyeli babuza uThixo bathi, “Pho ngubani ozahamba kuqala ukuba ayesilwela lamaKhenani na?”
2 UThixo waphendula wathi, “NguJuda ozahamba; ilizwe sengilinikele ezandleni zabo.”
3 Lapho-ke abantu bakoJuda bathi kwabakoSimiyoni abafowabo, “Hambani lathi elizweni esalabelwayo, ukuyakulwa lamaKhenani. Lathi sizakwenanisa ngokuhamba lani kwelenu.” Ngakho abakoSimiyoni ahamba labo.
4 Kwathi uJuda esehlasele, uThixo wanikela amaKhenani lamaPherizi ezandleni zabo, wabulala abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi eBhezekhi.
5 Kukhonapho abafica khona u-Adoni-Bhezekhi balwa laye, baqothula amaKhenani kanye lamaPherizi.
6 U-Adoni-Bhezekhi wabaleka, kodwa baxotshana laye baze bambamba, bamquma izithupha zakhe lamazwane amakhulu.
7 U-Adoni-Bhezekhi wasesithi, “Amakhosi angamatshumi ayisikhombisa ayequnywe izithupha zawo lamazwane amakhulu ayedobha imvuthuluka ngaphansi kwetafula yami. Khathesi uNkulunkulu usephindisele kimi ngalokho engakwenza kuwo.” Bamusa eJerusalema lapho afela khona.
8 Abantu bakoJuda bahlasela leJerusalema bayithumba. Bahlasela idolobho ngezinkemba balithungela ngomlilo.
9 Emva kwalokho, abantu bakoJuda bahamba bayakulwa lamaKhenani ayehlala elizweni lezintaba, iNegebi kanye lamawatha ezintaba angasentshonalanga.
10 Baqhubeka bayahlasela amaKhenani ayehlala eHebhroni (kuqala eyayithiwa yiKhiriyathi Aribha) banqoba uSheshayi, u-Ahimani kanye loThalimayi.
11 Besuka lapho baqhubeka bayahlasela abantu ababehlala eDebhiri (kuqala eyayithiwa yiKhiriyathi-Sefa).
12 UKhalebi wathi, “Ngizakwendisela indodakazi yami u-Akhisa endodeni ezahlasela ithumbe iKhiriyathi-Sefa.”
13 U-Othiniyeli, indodana kaKhenazi, umnawakhe kaKhalebi, wayithumba; ngakho uKhalebi wendisela indodakazi yakhe u-Akhisa kuye.
14 Ngelinye ilanga u-Akhisa wafika ku-Othiniyeli wamkhuthaza ukuthi acele insimu kuyise. Lapho esehlile kubabhemi wakhe uKhalebi wambuza wathi, “Kuyini engingakwenzela khona?”
15 Waphendula wathi, “Ngicela ungenzele umusa obalulekileyo. Njengoba unginike umhlaba eNegebi, ngicela unginike lemithombo yamanzi.” Ngakho uKhalebi wamnika imithombo eyayingaphezulu leyayingaphansi.
16 Abayinzalo kayisezala kaMosi, amaKheni, bahamba labantu bakoJuda besuka edolobheni laMalala besiyahlala phakathi kwabantu basenkangala yakoJuda eNegebi eduze le-Aradi.
17 Emva kwalokho abantu bakoJuda bahamba labakoSimiyoni abafowabo bahlasela amaKhenani ayehlala eZefathi, idolobho basebelichitha ngokupheleleyo. Ngakho lathiwa yiHoma.
18 Abantu bakoJuda bathumba njalo iGaza, i-Ashikheloni kanye le-Ekroni, idolobho linye ngalinye kanye lelizwe lalo.
19 UThixo wayelabantu bakoJuda. Bathumba ilizwe lezintaba, kodwa behluleka ukuxotsha abantu ababesemagcekeni ngoba babelezinqola zempi ezenzwe ngensimbi.
20 Njengokuthembisa kukaMosi, iHebhroni yaphiwa uKhalebi, owaxotsha kuyo amadodana amathathu ka-Anakhi.
21 Kodwa abakoBhenjamini behluleka ukususa amaJebusi ayehlala eJerusalema; lalamhlanje amaJebusi ahlala khona labakoBhenjamini.
22 Ngalesosikhathi abendlu kaJosefa bahlasela iBhetheli, njalo uThixo wayelabo.
23 Ekuthumeni kwabo abantu ukuba bayehlola iBhetheli (kuqala idolobho lelo lalithiwa yiLuzi),
24 inhloli zabona umuntu ephuma edolobheni zasezisithi kuye, “Sitshengise ukuthi singangena njani edolobheni, thina-ke sizabona ukuthi uphatheka kuhle.”
25 Ngakho wazitshengisa, zasezihlasela idolobho ngenkemba kodwa umuntu lowo zamyekela kanye labendlu yakhe bonke.
26 Ngakho-ke waya elizweni lamaHithi, lapho akha khona idolobho alibiza ngokuthi yiLuzi, okulokhe kuyilo ibizo lalo lalamhlanje.
27 Kodwa uManase kabaxotshanga abantu baseBhethi-Shani loba eThanakhi kumbe eDori loba e-Ibhiliyami kumbe eMegido kanye lasemizaneni yabo eseduzane, ngoba amaKhenani ayezimisele ukuhlala kulelolizwe.
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebelamandla bawabamba ngamandla amaKhenani ukuba abasebenzele kodwa kabazange bawaxotshe wonke.
29 Labako-Efrayimi kabawaxotshanga amaKhenani ayehlala eGezeri, kodwa amaKhenani aqhubeka ehlala khona labo.
30 LabakoZebhuluni kabawaxotshanga amaKhenani ayehlala eKhithironi kanye laseNahaloli, asala ephakathi kwabo; kodwa bawabamba ngamandla ukuba abasebenzele.
31 Labako-Asheri kababaxotshanga labo ababehlala e-Akho, kumbe eSidoni, kumbe e-Ahilabi loba e-Akhizibhi kumbe eHelibha loba e-Afekhi kumbe eRehobhi,
32 njalo ngenxa yalokhu abantu bako-Asheri bahlala lamaKhenani ayeyakhe elizweni.
33 LabakoNafithali kababaxotshanga labo ababehlala eBhethi-Shemeshi kumbe eBhethi-Anathi; kodwa abakoNafithali labo bahlala lamaKhenani ayeyakhe elizweni, kwathi lawo ayehlala eBhethi-Shemeshi kanye leBhethi-Anathi abanjwa ngamandla ukuba abe yizisebenzi zabo.
34 Ama-Amori ancindezela abakoDani ukuba bahlale elizweni lezintaba, angabavumeli ukuba behlele phansi emagcekeni.
35 Njalo ama-Amori ayezimisele ukuhlala kokuphela eNtabeni iHeresi, le-Ayijaloni kanye leShalibhimi, kodwa kwathi amandla abendlu kaJosefa esemakhulu, lawo abanjwa ngamandla ukuba abe yizisebenzi.
36 Umngcele wama-Amori wawusekela uMkhandlu weNkume usiya eSela kanye langaphetsheya.
