UJoshuwa 18
1 Inhlangano yonke-ke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli yabuthana eShilo, yamisa khona ithente lenhlangano. Lelizwe lalehliselwe phansi phambi kwabo.
The land had been subdued and lay before them. The Israelites gathered together at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting.
2 Kwasekusele phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli izizwe eziyisikhombisa ezazingabelwanga ilifa lazo.
However, seven of the Israelite tribes had not received their land allocations.
3 UJoshuwa wasesithi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli: Koze kube nini lidonda ukuyakudla ilifa lelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo elinike lona?
So Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long will you go on being reluctant to go and take possession of the land that the Lord gave your forefathers?
4 Zinikeni amadoda amathathu ngesizwe, ngiwathume, asukume ahambe adabule ilizwe, alibhale ngokwelifa lazo, abuye kimi.
Choose three men from each tribe and I will send them out to explore the land. Then they can write a description regarding the land allocations and bring it to me.
5 Azalehlukanisa libe yizabelo eziyisikhombisa; uJuda uzahlala emngceleni wakhe eningizimu, labendlu kaJosefa bahlale emngceleni wabo enyakatho.
They are to divide the land into seven parts, up to the boundary of Judah's land in the south and Joseph's land in the north.
6 Lani lizabhala ilizwe ngezigaba eziyisikhombisa, beseliletha kimi lapha, ukuthi ngiliphosele inkatho lapha phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Once you have written the description the land, dividing it in seven parts, you will bring it to me here and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God.
7 Ngoba amaLevi kawalasabelo phakathi kwenu, ngoba ubupristi beNkosi buyilifa labo. LoGadi loRubeni lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase sebethethe ilifa labo ngaphetsheya kweJordani empumalanga, uMozisi inceku yeNkosi eyabanika lona.
But the Levites do not receive a share, for their role as priests of the Lord is their allocation. Also, Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allocation that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them on the east side of the Jordan.”
8 Asesuka amadoda ahamba. UJoshuwa wawalaya ahambayo ukubhala ilizwe esithi: Hambani lidabule ilizwe lilibhale, libuyele kimi, ukuze ngiliphosele inkatho lapha phambi kweNkosi eShilo.
As the men started out on their way to explore the land. Joshua told them, “Go throughout the land and write a description of what you find. Then return to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord here in Shiloh.”
9 Ngakho amadoda ahamba adabula phakathi kwelizwe, alibhala ngemizi ngezigaba eziyisikhombisa egwalweni; asebuya kuJoshuwa enkambeni eShilo.
So the men went and explored the land and wrote down on a scroll a description of the seven parts, recording the towns in each part. Then they returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh
10 UJoshuwa wasebaphosela inkatho eShilo phambi kweNkosi; uJoshuwa wasebabela lapho ilizwe abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngokwezigaba zabo.
where Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the Lord. There Joshua divided the land up and allotted the different parts to the remaining Israelite tribes.
11 Inkatho yesizwe sabantwana bakoBhenjamini yavela ngokwensendo zabo. Lomngcele wenkatho yabo waphuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoJuda labantwana bakoJosefa.
The first lot cast went to the tribe of Benjamin, by families. The land allotted lay between that of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph.
12 Lomngcele wabo ngenyakatho wasukela eJordani, lomngcele wenyuka ewatheni leJeriko enyakatho, wasusenyuka udabula entabeni usiya entshonalanga, lokuphuma kwawo kwaba senkangala yeBeti-Aveni.
Their boundary began at the Jordan, and went north of the slope of Jericho, west through the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13 Lomngcele wedlula usuka lapho waya eLuzi, ewatheni leLuzi, eyiBhetheli, ngeningizimu; lomngcele wehlela eAtarothi-Adari, eduze lentaba engeningizimu kweBhethi-Horoni engaphansi.
Then the boundary went south to Luz (or Bethel) and on down to Ataroth-addar on the mountain south of Lower Beth-horon.
14 Umngcele wagoba-ke, waphenduka waya eceleni lentshonalanga ngeningizimu, kusukela entabeni emaqondana leBhethi-Horoni eningizimu; lokuphuma kwawo kwaba eKiriyathi-Bhali, eyiKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, umuzi wabantwana bakoJuda. Lolu luhlangothi lwentshonalanga.
Here the boundary turned south along the western side of the mountain facing Beth-horon, finishing at Kiriath-baal (or Kiriath-jearim), a town of the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.
15 Lohlangothi lweningizimu lusephethelweni leKiriyathi-Jeyarimi; lomngcele waphuma waya entshonalanga, waphuma waya emthonjeni wamanzi weNefitowa.
The southern boundary began at the edge of Kiriath-jearim. It ran to the spring at Nephtoah,
16 Umngcele wasusehla usiya ephethelweni lentaba emaqondana lesihotsha sendodana kaHinomu esisesihotsheni seziqhwaga enyakatho, wasusehlela esihotsheni seHinomu ewatheni lamaJebusi eningizimu, wehlela eEni-Rogeli;
and then down to the foot of the mountain that faces the valley of Ben-hinnom, at the north end of the valley of Rephaim. Then it went down the valley of Hinnom, along the slope near the Jebusite town, south towards En-rogel.
17 wagoba usukela enyakatho waphuma eEni-Shemeshi, waphumela eGelilothi emaqondana lomqanso weAdumimi, wehlela elitsheni likaBohani indodana kaRubeni;
From there it headed north to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth, opposite the heights of Adummim, and then on down to the Stone of Bohan (Reuben's son).
18 wadlulela ewatheni maqondana leAraba enyakatho, wehlela eAraba.
Then it went along the ridge opposite the Jordan Valley to the north, and then down into the Jordan Valley itself.
19 Umngcele wasusedlulela ewatheni leBeti-Hogila enyakatho, lokuphuma komngcele kwakusethekwini loLwandle lweTshwayi enyakatho, ephethelweni leJordani ngeningizimu. Lo ngumngcele weningizimu.
From there it ran along the north slope of Beth-hoglah, ending at the north bay of the Salt Sea, the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.
20 LeJordani ingumngcele walo ehlangothini lwempumalanga. Leli yilifa labantwana bakoBhenjamini ngemingcele yalo inhlangothi zonke, ngokwensendo zabo.
The eastern boundary was the Jordan. These were the boundaries around the land of the tribe of Benjamin, by families.
21 Lemizi yesizwe sabantwana bakoBhenjamini ngokwensendo zabo yile: IJeriko leBeti-Hogila leEmeki-Kezizi
These were the towns of the tribe of Benjamin, according to families: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22 leBeti-Araba leZemarayimi leBhetheli
Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23 leAvimi lePara leOfira
Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24 leKefari-Amoni leOfini leGeba; imizi elitshumi lambili lemizana yayo.
Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their associated villages.
25 IGibeyoni leRama leBeyerothi
In addition: Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26 leMizipa leKefira leMoza
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
27 leRekemi leIripheyeli leTarala
Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28 leZela, iElefi, leJebusi, okuyiJerusalema, iGibeyathi, iKiriyathi; imizi elitshumi lane lemizana yayo. Leli yilifa labantwana bakoBhenjamini ngokwensendo zabo.
Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (or Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen towns with their associated villages. This was the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, by families.
