UJoshuwa 18
1 Inhlangano yonke-ke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli yabuthana eShilo, yamisa khona ithente lenhlangano. Lelizwe lalehliselwe phansi phambi kwabo.
The Israeli people captured all the land [that they were able to], but there were still seven tribes that had not been allotted any land. The Israeli people all gathered at Shiloh, and they set up the Sacred Tent there.
2 Kwasekusele phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli izizwe eziyisikhombisa ezazingabelwanga ilifa lazo.
3 UJoshuwa wasesithi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli: Koze kube nini lidonda ukuyakudla ilifa lelizwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo elinike lona?
Joshua said to them, “Why are you waiting a long time to take control of [the rest of] the land that Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped], has promised to give to you [RHQ]?
4 Zinikeni amadoda amathathu ngesizwe, ngiwathume, asukume ahambe adabule ilizwe, alibhale ngokwelifa lazo, abuye kimi.
Choose three men from each of your seven tribes. Then I will send them to explore [the parts of] the land [which you have not occupied yet. When they finish exploring it], they must write a report, in which they will (make a map/show the boundaries) of the land that each tribe wants to receive.
5 Azalehlukanisa libe yizabelo eziyisikhombisa; uJuda uzahlala emngceleni wakhe eningizimu, labendlu kaJosefa bahlale emngceleni wabo enyakatho.
They will divide the remaining land into seven parts. The tribe of Judah will keep its land in the south, and the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will keep their land in the north.
6 Lani lizabhala ilizwe ngezigaba eziyisikhombisa, beseliletha kimi lapha, ukuthi ngiliphosele inkatho lapha phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
But in their report, the men from the seven tribes should describe the seven parts of the remaining land [that they wish to receive], and bring the report to me. While Yahweh is watching, I will (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide which land should be allotted to each tribe].
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 tribe of Levi will not be allotted any land, because their [reward is that they will be] Yahweh’s priests. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already been allotted their land on the east side of the Jordan [River], just as Moses, the man who served God [well], decided, [so they will not get any more land].”
8 Asesuka amadoda ahamba. UJoshuwa wawalaya ahambayo ukubhala ilizwe esithi: Hambani lidabule ilizwe lilibhale, libuyele kimi, ukuze ngiliphosele inkatho lapha phambi kweNkosi eShilo.
When the men who were chosen [got ready to] leave, Joshua told them, “Go and explore the land. Then write a report of what you have seen, and bring it back to me. Then while Yahweh is watching, I will (cast lots/throw marked stones) here at Shiloh, [to determine what area each tribe will receive].”
9 Ngakho amadoda ahamba adabula phakathi kwelizwe, alibhala ngemizi ngezigaba eziyisikhombisa egwalweni; asebuya kuJoshuwa enkambeni eShilo.
So the men left and walked through the area. Then they described in a scroll each town that was in the seven parts [into which they had divided] the land. Then they returned to Joshua, who was still at Shiloh.
10 UJoshuwa wasebaphosela inkatho eShilo phambi kweNkosi; uJoshuwa wasebabela lapho ilizwe abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngokwezigaba zabo.
[After Joshua read their report], while Yahweh was watching, he (cast lots/threw marked stones) to choose which land would be allotted to each of the seven Israeli tribes.
11 Inkatho yesizwe sabantwana bakoBhenjamini yavela ngokwensendo zabo. Lomngcele wenkatho yabo waphuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoJuda labantwana bakoJosefa.
The first tribe that was allotted land was the tribe of Benjamin. Each clan in that tribe was allotted some of the land that was between the area that was allotted to the tribe of Judah and the area that was allotted to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
12 Lomngcele wabo ngenyakatho wasukela eJordani, lomngcele wenyuka ewatheni leJeriko enyakatho, wasusenyuka udabula entabeni usiya entshonalanga, lokuphuma kwawo kwaba senkangala yeBeti-Aveni.
The northern border started at the Jordan [River] and extended west along the northern side of Jericho, into the hilly area. From there the border extended west to the desert near Beth-Aven [town].
13 Lomngcele wedlula usuka lapho waya eLuzi, ewatheni leLuzi, eyiBhetheli, ngeningizimu; lomngcele wehlela eAtarothi-Adari, eduze lentaba engeningizimu kweBhethi-Horoni engaphansi.
From there it extended southwest to Luz (which is [now named] Bethel). From there it extended southwest to Ataroth-Addar [town], which is on the hill south of Lower Beth-Horon [city].
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.
At the hill south of Beth-Horon, the border turned and extended south to Kiriath-Baal [town], which is [also named] Kiriath-Jearim. That is a town where people of the tribe of Judah live. That was the western border of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin.
15 Lohlangothi lweningizimu lusephethelweni leKiriyathi-Jeyarimi; lomngcele waphuma waya entshonalanga, waphuma waya emthonjeni wamanzi weNefitowa.
The southern border of their land started near Kiriath-Jearim and extended west to Nephtoah Springs.
16 Umngcele wasusehla usiya ephethelweni lentaba emaqondana lesihotsha sendodana kaHinomu esisesihotsheni seziqhwaga enyakatho, wasusehlela esihotsheni seHinomu ewatheni lamaJebusi eningizimu, wehlela eEni-Rogeli;
From there it extended south to the bottom of the hill, near Ben-Hinnom Valley, on the north side of Repha Valley. The border extended south along the Hinnom Valley, south of the city where the Jebus people-group lived, to En-Rogel.
17 wagoba usukela enyakatho waphuma eEni-Shemeshi, waphumela eGelilothi emaqondana lomqanso weAdumimi, wehlela elitsheni likaBohani indodana kaRubeni;
From there the border extended west to En-Shemesh, and continued to Geliloth near Adummim Pass. Then it extended to the great stone of Reuben’s son Bohan.
18 wadlulela ewatheni maqondana leAraba enyakatho, wehlela eAraba.
From there the border extended to the northern edge of Beth-Arabah [town] and down into the Jordan [River] Valley.
19 Umngcele wasusedlulela ewatheni leBeti-Hogila enyakatho, lokuphuma komngcele kwakusethekwini loLwandle lweTshwayi enyakatho, ephethelweni leJordani ngeningizimu. Lo ngumngcele weningizimu.
From there it extended east to the northern edge of Beth-Hoglah [town] and ended at the north end of the Dead Sea, where the Jordan [River flows into the Dead Sea]. That was the southern boundary [of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin].
20 LeJordani ingumngcele walo ehlangothini lwempumalanga. Leli yilifa labantwana bakoBhenjamini ngemingcele yalo inhlangothi zonke, ngokwensendo zabo.
The Jordan [River] was the eastern boundary of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Those were the boundaries of the land allotted to them.
21 Lemizi yesizwe sabantwana bakoBhenjamini ngokwensendo zabo yile: IJeriko leBeti-Hogila leEmeki-Kezizi
The cities in the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin were 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. Altogether there were fourteen towns and the surrounding villages.
25 IGibeyoni leRama leBeyerothi
The tribe of Benjamin also had the towns of 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.
Zelah, Haeleph, the city where the Jebus people-group lived (which is [now named] Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath. Altogether there were 14 towns and the surrounding villages. All that area was allotted to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
