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.
Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.
2 Kwatshelwa inkosi yeJeriko kwathiwa: Khangela, kufike lapha ebusuku amadoda abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuhlola ilizwe.
The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
3 Inkosi yeJeriko yasithumela kuRahabi isithi: Khupha lawo amadoda afikele kuwe, angena endlini yakho, ngoba azehlola ilizwe lonke.
Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”
4 Kodwa owesifazana wayethethe lawomadoda amabili, wawafihla, wakhuluma kanje: Afikile kimi amadoda, kodwa bengingazi lapha avela khona.
The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.
5 Kwasekusithi sekuzavalwa isango lapho sekumnyama amadoda aphuma. Kangikwazi lapho amadoda aye khona; axhumeni ngokuphangisa liwalandele, ngoba lizawafica.
About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
6 Kodwa yena wayewenyusele ephahleni, wawafihla phakathi kwamahlanga efilakisi ayechayelwe yena ephahleni.
But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.
7 Amadoda asewaxhuma ngendlela yeJordani aze afika emazibukweni; bavala amasango emva kokuphuma kwabawaxhumayo bewalandela.
The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
8 Kwathi wona engakalali, yena wenyukela kuwo ephahleni;
Before they had lain down, 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 to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land 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.
For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly 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 wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
12 Ngakho-ke ake lifunge kimi ngeNkosi, ngoba ngilenzele umusa, lani-ke lizayenzela umusa indlu kababa, linginike isiboniso esiqinileyo,
Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;
13 ukuthi ligcine bephila ubaba lomama, labanewethu labodadewethu, lakho konke abalakho, likhulule impilo yethu ekufeni.
and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives 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, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
15 Wasewehlisa ngentambo ewindini, ngoba indlu yakhe yayisemdulini womuzi, wayehlala phezu komduli.
Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.
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 to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”
17 Amadoda asesithi kuye: Thina sizakhululeka esifungweni sakho lesi osifungise sona.
The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.
18 Khangela, ekufikeni kwethu elizweni uzabophela lintambo yomnxeba obomvu ewindini osehlise ngalo, njalo uzibuthanisele endlini yakho oyihlo lonyoko labanewenu lendlu yonke kayihlo.
Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your 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.
It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.
20 Kodwa uba uluveza obala loludaba lwethu, sizakhululeka esifungweni sakho osifungise sona.
But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”
21 Wasesithi: Njengamazwi enu, kakube njalo. Wasewayekela ehamba, ahamba, wabophela intambo ebomvu ewindini.
She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.
22 Asehamba afika entabeni, ahlala khona insuku ezintathu, baze babuya abaxhumi, ngoba abaxhumi bawadinga endleleni yonke, kodwa kabawatholanga.
They went and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but didn’t find them.
23 Ngakho amadoda womabili aphenduka asesehla entabeni, achapha, afika kuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, amtshela konke okuwehleleyo.
Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all 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 delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”
