< UJoshuwa 10 >
1 Kwasekusithi lapho uAdonizedeki inkosi yeJerusalema esezwile ukuthi uJoshuwa uyithumbile iAyi, wayitshabalalisa, njengalokho akwenza eJeriko lenkosini yayo, wenze njalo eAyi lenkosini yayo, lokuthi abahlali beGibeyoni benza ukuthula loIsrayeli, babephakathi kwabo,
2 besaba kakhulu, ngoba iGibeyoni yayingumuzi omkhulu njengomunye wemizi yenkosi, langoba yayinkulu kuleAyi, lamadoda ayo wonke engamaqhawe.
3 Ngakho uAdonizedeki inkosi yeJerusalema yathumela kuHohamu inkosi yeHebroni, lakuPiramu inkosi yeJarimuthi, lakuJafiya inkosi yeLakishi, lakuDebiri inkosi yeEgiloni, esithi:
4 Yenyukelani kimi lingisize, ukuze siyitshaye iGibeyoni; ngoba yenzile ukuthula loJoshuwa labantwana bakoIsrayeli.
5 Ngakho amakhosi amahlanu amaAmori, inkosi yeJerusalema, inkosi yeHebroni, inkosi yeJarimuthi, inkosi yeLakishi, inkosi yeEgiloni, ahlangana enyuka, wona lamabutho awo wonke, amisa inkamba maqondana leGibeyoni, alwa layo.
6 Amadoda eGibeyoni asethumela kuJoshuwa enkambeni yeGiligali esithi: Isandla sakho singatshiyi izinceku zakho; yenyukela kithi masinyane usisindise usisize, ngoba amakhosi wonke amaAmori ahlala ezintabeni asesihlanganyele.
7 Ngakho uJoshuwa wenyuka esuka eGiligali, yena labo bonke abantu bempi kanye laye, lawo wonke amaqhawe alamandla.
8 INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Ungabesabi, ngoba ngibanikele esandleni sakho; kakulamuntu wabo ozakuma phambi kwakho.
9 UJoshuwa wasebajuma, enyuke ubusuku bonke esuka eGiligali.
10 INkosi yabasanganisa phambi kukaIsrayeli, yabatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu eGibeyoni, yaxotshana labo endleleni enyukela eBhethi-Horoni, yabatshaya kwaze kwaba seAseka kwaze kwaba seMakeda.
11 Kwasekusithi besabaleka phambi kukaIsrayeli ekwehleni kweBhethi-Horoni, iNkosi yaphosela phezu kwabo amatshe amakhulu evela emazulwini, kwaze kwaba seAzeka, njalo bafa. Babebanengi abafa ngesiqhotho okwedlula labo abantwana bakoIsrayeli abababulala ngenkemba.
12 Ngalesosikhathi uJoshuwa wakhuluma eNkosini mhla iNkosi inikela amaAmori phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, wathi phambi kwamehlo kaIsrayeli: Langa, mana eGibeyoni, lawe nyanga, esihotsheni seAjaloni.
13 Lelanga lathi mpo lenyanga yema, abantu baze baziphindisela ezitheni zabo. Lokhu kakubhaliwe yini egwalweni lukaJashari? Ngakho ilanga lema phakathi komkhathi, kalaze laphangisa ukutshona phose okosuku olupheleleyo.
14 Kaluzanga lube khona usuku olunjalo ngaphambi kwalo loba emva kwalo lapho iNkosi eyalizwa khona ilizwi lomuntu, ngoba iNkosi yamlwela uIsrayeli.
15 UJoshuwa wasebuyela enkambeni eGiligali loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye.
16 Kodwa lawomakhosi amahlanu abaleka, acatsha ebhalwini eMakeda.
17 Kwasekubikwa kuJoshuwa ukuthi: Amakhosi amahlanu atholwe ecatshile ebhalwini eMakeda.
18 UJoshuwa wasesithi: Giqelani amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni wobhalu, limise amadoda kulo ukuwalinda.
19 Kodwa lina lingami; xotshanani lezitha zenu, lizitshaye ngemuva kwazo, lingaziyekeli zingene emizini yazo, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu izinikele esandleni senu.
20 Kwasekusithi lapho uJoshuwa labantwana bakoIsrayeli sebeqedile ukuzitshaya ngokutshaya okukhulukazi zaze zaqedwa, insali eyasalayo yazo yangena emizini evikelweyo.
21 Labantu bonke babuyela enkambeni kuJoshuwa eMakeda ngokuthula; kakho owanyikinya ulimi lwakhe emelana labantwana bakoIsrayeli.
22 UJoshuwa wasesithi: Vulani umlomo wobhalu, likhuphele kimi lawomakhosi amahlanu evela ebhalwini.
23 Basebesenza njalo, bawakhuphela kuye lawomakhosi amahlanu evela ebhalwini: Inkosi yeJerusalema, inkosi yeHebroni, inkosi yeJarimuthi, inkosi yeLakishi, inkosi yeEgiloni.
24 Kwasekusithi sebewakhuphele kuJoshuwa lawomakhosi, uJoshuwa wabiza wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli, wathi ezinduneni zamadoda empi ezazihambe laye: Sondelani, libeke inyawo zenu entanyeni zalamakhosi. Zasezisondela, zabeka inyawo zazo entanyeni zawo.
25 UJoshuwa wasesithi kuzo: Lingesabi lingatshaywa luvalo; qinani lime isibindi, ngoba iNkosi izakwenza njalo kuzo zonke izitha zenu elilwa limelene lazo.
26 Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wasewatshaya wawabulala, wawalengisa ezihlahleni ezinhlanu; njalo ayelenga ezihlahleni kwaze kwahlwa.
27 Kwasekusithi ngesikhathi sokutshona kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bawethule ezihlahleni, bawaphosele ebhalwini ayecatshe khona; basebefaka amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni wobhalu, akhona kuze kube yilona lolusuku.
28 UJoshuwa wathumba layo iMakeda ngalolosuku, wayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, watshabalalisa lenkosi yayo, bona, layo yonke imiphefumulo eyayikiyo, katshiyanga insali. Wasesenza enkosini yeMakeda njengalokho akwenza enkosini yeJeriko.
29 UJoshuwa, loIsrayeli wonke laye, wasedlula esuka eMakeda waya eLibhina, walwa emelene leLibhina.
30 INkosi yasiyinikela layo lenkosi yayo esandleni sikaIsrayeli; waseyitshaya ngobukhali benkemba lemiphefumulo yonke eyayikiyo; katshiyanga insali kiyo; wenza enkosini yayo njengalokho akwenza enkosini yeJeriko.
31 UJoshuwa wasesedlula esuka eLibhina, loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, waya eLakishi, wamisa inkamba maqondana layo, walwa emelene layo.
32 INkosi yasiyinikela iLakishi esandleni sikaIsrayeli; waseyithumba ngosuku lwesibili, wayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba layo yonke imiphefumulo eyayikiyo, njengakho konke akwenza eLibhina.
33 Ngalesosikhathi uHoramu inkosi yeGezeri wenyuka ukusiza iLakishi; kodwa uJoshuwa wamtshaya labantu bakhe, kwaze kwathi kamtshiyelanga insali.
34 UJoshuwa wasesedlula esuka eLakishi, loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, baya eEgiloni, bamisa inkamba maqondana layo, balwa bemelene layo.
35 Bayithumba ngalolosuku, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, lemiphefumulo yonke eyayikiyo bayitshabalalisa ngalolosuku, njengakho konke akwenza eLakishi.
36 UJoshuwa wasesenyuka esuka eEgiloni loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, baya eHebroni, balwa bemelene layo,
37 bayithumba, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, lenkosi yayo lemizi yayo yonke lawo wonke umphefumulo owawukiyo; katshiyanga insali, njengakho konke akwenza eEgiloni, wawutshabalalisa lawo wonke umphefumulo owawukiyo.
38 UJoshuwa wasebuyela eDebiri loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, balwa bemelene layo,
39 bayithumba lenkosi yayo layo yonke imizi yayo, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, batshabalalisa wonke umphefumulo owawukiyo; katshiyanga insali. Njengokwenza kwakhe eHebroni wenza njalo eDebiri lenkosini yayo, lanjengokwenza kwakhe eLibhina lenkosini yayo.
40 Ngakho uJoshuwa walitshaya ilizwe lonke lezintaba leleningizimu lelesihotsha lelamawatha lawo wonke amakhosi abo; katshiyanga insali, kodwa watshabalalisa konke okuphefumulayo, njengokulaya kweNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
41 UJoshuwa wasebatshaya kusukela eKadeshi-Bhaneya kwaze kwaba seGaza, lelizwe lonke leGosheni, kwaze kwaba seGibeyoni.
42 UJoshuwa wasethumba wonke lamakhosi lelizwe lawo ngasikhathi sinye, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yamlwela uIsrayeli.
43 UJoshuwa wasebuyela, loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, enkambeni eGiligali.
