UJoshuwa 2
1 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wasethuma eseShithimi amadoda amabili aba zinhloli ensitha, esithi: Hambani libone ilizwe, leJeriko. Asehamba, ayafikela endlini yomfazi, iwule, obizo lakhe lalinguRahabi, alala khona.
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies. He said, “Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.” They went away and came to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and they lodged there.
2 Kwatshelwa inkosi yeJeriko kwathiwa: Khangela, kufike lapha ebusuku amadoda abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuhlola ilizwe.
It was told to the king of Jericho, “Look, men of Israel have come here to spy on the land.”
3 Inkosi yeJeriko yasithumela kuRahabi isithi: Khupha lawo amadoda afikele kuwe, angena endlini yakho, ngoba azehlola ilizwe lonke.
The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who have come to you who entered your house, for they have come to spy on the whole land.”
4 Kodwa owesifazana wayethethe lawomadoda amabili, wawafihla, wakhuluma kanje: Afikile kimi amadoda, kodwa bengingazi lapha avela khona.
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She replied, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5 Kwasekusithi sekuzavalwa isango lapho sekumnyama amadoda aphuma. Kangikwazi lapho amadoda aye khona; axhumeni ngokuphangisa liwalandele, ngoba lizawafica.
They left when it was dusk, when it was time for the city gate to shut. I do not know where they went. You will probably catch them if you hurry after them.”
6 Kodwa yena wayewenyusele ephahleni, wawafihla phakathi kwamahlanga efilakisi ayechayelwe yena ephahleni.
But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.
7 Amadoda asewaxhuma ngendlela yeJordani aze afika emazibukweni; bavala amasango emva kokuphuma kwabawaxhumayo bewalandela.
So the men pursued them on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan. The gate was shut as soon as the pursuers went out.
8 Kwathi wona engakalali, yena wenyukela kuwo ephahleni;
The men had not yet lain down for the night, when she came up to them on the roof.
9 wasesithi emadodeni: Ngiyazi ukuthi iNkosi ilinikile ilizwe, lokuthi ukwesabeka kwenu kuwele phezu kwethu, lokuthi bonke abakhileyo elizweni bayancibilika ngenxa yobukhona benu.
She said, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land and that the fear of you has come upon us. All those who live in the land will melt away before you.
10 Ngoba sizwile ukuthi iNkosi yomisa amanzi oLwandle oluBomvu phambi kwenu ekuphumeni kwenu eGibhithe, lalokho elakwenza emakhosini amabili amaAmori ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, uSihoni loOgi elabatshabalalisayo.
We have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds for you when you came out of Egypt. We also heard what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on other side of the Jordan—Sihon and Og—whom you completely destroyed.
11 Sathi sikuzwa lokho inhliziyo yethu yancibilika, kakusekho isibindi emuntwini ngenxa yenu. Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, nguye uNkulunkulu emazulwini phezulu lemhlabeni phansi.
As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted and there was no courage left in anyone—for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
12 Ngakho-ke ake lifunge kimi ngeNkosi, ngoba ngilenzele umusa, lani-ke lizayenzela umusa indlu kababa, linginike isiboniso esiqinileyo,
Now then, please swear to me by Yahweh that, just as I have been kind to you, you will also deal kindly with my father's house. Give me a sure sign
13 ukuthi ligcine bephila ubaba lomama, labanewethu labodadewethu, lakho konke abalakho, likhulule impilo yethu ekufeni.
that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters and all their families, and that you will save us from death.”
14 Lamadoda athi kuye: Umphefumulo wethu ufe esikhundleni senu, uba ungavezi obala loludaba lwethu. Njalo kuzakuthi lapho iNkosi isisinikile ilizwe, sizakwenzela umusa leqiniso.
The men said to her, “Our life for yours, even to death! If you do not speak about our business, then, when Yahweh gives us this land we will be merciful and faithful to you.”
15 Wasewehlisa ngentambo ewindini, ngoba indlu yakhe yayisemdulini womuzi, wayehlala phezu komduli.
So she let them down out through the window using a rope. The house in which she lived was built into the wall of the city.
16 Wasesithi kuwo: Yanini entabeni, hlezi abaxhumi bahlangane lani, licatshe khona insuku ezintathu, baze babuye abaxhumi, lemva kwalokho lihambe ngendlela yenu.
She said to them, “Go in the hills and hide or the pursuers will find you. Hide there for three days until the pursuers have returned. Then go on your way.”
17 Amadoda asesithi kuye: Thina sizakhululeka esifungweni sakho lesi osifungise sona.
The men said to her, “We will be not be bound to the promises of the oath you made us swear to, if you do not do this.
18 Khangela, ekufikeni kwethu elizweni uzabophela lintambo yomnxeba obomvu ewindini osehlise ngalo, njalo uzibuthanisele endlini yakho oyihlo lonyoko labanewenu lendlu yonke kayihlo.
When we come into the land, you must tie this scarlet rope in the window through which you let us down, and you will gather into the house your father and mother, your brothers and all your father's household.
19 Kuzakuthi-ke, loba ngubani ophumela phandle kweminyango yendlu yakho, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe, thina-ke sizakuba singelacala. Njalo loba ngubani ozakuba lawe endlini, igazi lakhe lizakuba sekhanda lethu, uba isandla sisiba phezu kwakhe.
Whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, their blood will be upon their own heads and we will be guiltless. But if a hand is laid upon any who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head.
20 Kodwa uba uluveza obala loludaba lwethu, sizakhululeka esifungweni sakho osifungise sona.
But if you speak about our business, we will be free from the oath you made us swear.”
21 Wasesithi: Njengamazwi enu, kakube njalo. Wasewayekela ehamba, ahamba, wabophela intambo ebomvu ewindini.
Rahab replied, “May what you say be done.” She sent them away and they left. Then she tied the scarlet rope in the window.
22 Asehamba afika entabeni, ahlala khona insuku ezintathu, baze babuya abaxhumi, ngoba abaxhumi bawadinga endleleni yonke, kodwa kabawatholanga.
They left and went up into the hills and they stayed there three days until their pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the road and found nothing.
23 Ngakho amadoda womabili aphenduka asesehla entabeni, achapha, afika kuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, amtshela konke okuwehleleyo.
The two men returned and crossed over and came back to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him everything that had happened to them.
24 Athi kuJoshuwa: Isibili iNkosi ilinikele esandleni sethu ilizwe lonke, futhi-ke bonke abakhileyo belizwe bancibilikile ngenxa yobukhona bethu.
They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given this land to us. All the inhabitants of the land are melting away because of us.”
