< UDutheronomi 31 >
1 UMozisi wasehamba wakhuluma lamazwi kuIsrayeli wonke,
2 wathi kubo: Ngileminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lamuhla; kangiselamandla okuphuma lokungena. LeNkosi yathi kimi: Kawuyikuyichapha le iJordani.
3 INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, yona izachapha phambi kwakho, yona izachitha lezizizwe zisuke phambi kwakho, ukuze udle ilifa lazo. UJoshuwa, yena uzachapha phambi kwakho, njengokutsho kweNkosi.
4 LeNkosi izakwenza kuzo njengokwenza kwayo kuSihoni lakuOgi, amakhosi amaAmori, lelizweni lawo, ewachithileyo.
5 INkosi izazinikela-ke phambi kwenu, ukuze lenze kuzo njengokwemilayo yonke engililaye yona.
6 Qinani, lime isibindi, lingesabi, lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yazo; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, yiyo ehamba lawe; kayiyikukulahla, kayiyikukudela.
7 UMozisi wasembiza uJoshuwa, wathi kuye phambi kwamehlo kaIsrayeli wonke: Qina, ume isibindi; ngoba wena uzangena lalababantu elizweni iNkosi eyalifungela oyise ukubanika lona; uzabenza badle ilifa lalo.
8 Njalo iNkosi, yiyo ehamba phambi kwakho; yona izakuba lawe, ingakulahli, ingakudeli; ungesabi, ungakhathazeki.
9 UMozisi wasewubhala lumlayo, wawunika abapristi, amadodana kaLevi, ababethwala umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, lakubo bonke abadala bakoIsrayeli.
10 UMozisi wasebalaya esithi: Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa, ngesikhathi esimisiweyo somnyaka wenkululeko, emkhosini wamadumba,
11 lapho uIsrayeli wonke esefike ukubonakala phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho endaweni ezayikhetha, uwubale lumlayo phambi kukaIsrayeli wonke endlebeni zabo.
12 Buthanisa abantu, abesilisa labesifazana labantwana, lowemzini wakho ophakathi kwamasango akho, ukuze bezwe, lokuze bafunde, bayesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, bagcine ukwenza wonke amazwi alumlayo.
13 Labantwana babo abangaziyo bezwe, bafunde ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwenu, elizweni elichapha iJordani lisiya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
14 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Khangela, insuku zakho zokufa sezisondele; biza uJoshuwa, zimiseni ethenteni lenhlangano ukuze ngimlaye. UMozisi loJoshuwa bahamba-ke, bazimisa ethenteni lenhlangano.
15 INkosi yasibonakala ethenteni ensikeni yeyezi; lensika yeyezi yema phezu komnyango wethente.
16 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Khangela, uzalala laboyihlo; lalababantu bazasukuma baphinge ngokulandela onkulunkulu bezizweni belizwe, lapho abaya khona phakathi kwabo, bangitshiye, bephule isivumelwano sami engisenze labo.
17 Lentukuthelo yami izabavuthela ngalolosuku, ngibatshiye, ngibafihlele ubuso bami, ukuze babe yikudla, behlelwe ngokubi okunengi lezinhlupheko, baze bathi ngalolosuku: Angithi lobububi busehlele ngoba uNkulunkulu wethu kakho phakathi kwethu?
18 Lami ngizafihla lokufihla ubuso bami ngalolosuku ngenxa yobubi bonke ababenzileyo, ngoba bephendukele kwabanye onkulunkulu.
19 Ngakho-ke zibhaleleni lingoma, uyifundise abantwana bakoIsrayeli; uyifake emlonyeni wabo ukuze lingoma ibe yibufakazi kimi obumelene labantwana bakoIsrayeli.
20 Lapho sengibangenisile elizweni engalifungela oyise, eligeleza uchago loluju, sebedlile basutha, bazimuka, bazaphendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonze, bangidelele, bephule isivumelwano sami.
21 Kuzakuthi-ke, nxa sebehlelwe ngokubi okunengi lezinhlupheko, lingoma izaphendula phambi kobuso babo ibe yibufakazi; ngoba kayiyikukhohlakala emlonyeni wenzalo yabo. Ngoba ngiyawazi amacebo abo abawenzayo lamuhla, ngingakabangenisi elizweni engifunge ngalo.
22 UMozisi wasebhala lingoma ngalolosuku, wayifundisa abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
23 Yasilaya uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni yathi: Qina, ume isibindi, ngoba wena uzabangenisa abantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni engabafungela lona; lami ngizakuba lawe.
24 Kwasekusithi uMozisi eseqedile ukubhala amazwi alumlayo egwalweni, aze aphela,
25 uMozisi walaya amaLevi ayethwala umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi esithi:
26 Thathani lolugwalo lomlayo, lilubeke eceleni komtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, ukuze lube khona, kube yibufakazi obumelene lawe.
27 Ngoba mina ngiyazi umvukela wakho, lentamo yakho elukhuni; khangelani, ngisaphila lani lamuhla, belingabavukeli beNkosi; pho, kangakanani emva kokufa kwami?
28 Buthanisani kimi bonke abadala bezizwe zenu lenduna zenu ukuze ngikhulume lamazwi endlebeni zabo, ngibize amazulu lomhlaba ukuba ngabafakazi bamelane labo.
29 Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi emva kokufa kwami lizakona lokona, liphambuke endleleni engililaye yona; lizakwehlelwa ngokubi ngensuku ezizayo, ngoba lizakwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, liyithukuthelise ngomsebenzi wezandla zenu.
30 UMozisi wasekhuluma amazwi alingoma endlebeni zebandla lonke lakoIsrayeli, aze aphela.