UJoshuwa 22
1 Ngalesosikhathi uJoshuwa wabiza abakoRubeni labakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sabakoManase,
Joshua then summoned the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
2 wathi kubo: Lina ligcinile konke uMozisi inceku yeNkosi eyalilaya khona, lalilalela ilizwi lami kukho konke engalilaya khona.
He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses, who served Yahweh [well], told you to do. You have also done what I told you to do.
3 Kalibatshiyanga abafowenu kulezinsuku ezinengi, kuze kube lamuhla; kodwa ligcinile imfanelo yomlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu.
For a long time you have helped the other tribes [to defeat their enemies]. You have obeyed everything that Yahweh your God commanded you to do.
4 Khathesi-ke, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ibanikile abafowenu ukuphumula, njengalokho akukhuluma kubo. Ngakho-ke buyelani lina liye emathenteni enu elizweni lelifa lenu, alinika lona uMozisi inceku yeNkosi ngaphetsheya kweJordani.
He promised to give peace to us Israelis, and he has done what he promised. So now you may go back to your homes, to the land that Moses gave to you, on the east side of the Jordan [River].
5 Kuphela liqaphelisise ukwenza umlayo lomthetho uMozisi inceku yeNkosi alilaya wona, ukuthanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, lokuhamba endleleni zayo zonke, lokugcina imilayo yayo, lokunamathela kuyo, lokuyikhonza ngenhliziyo yenu yonke langomphefumulo wenu wonke.
Moses also commanded you to love Yahweh your God and to obey his commands, and to continue to worship him and serve him by everything that you think and everything that you do.”
6 Wasebabusisa uJoshuwa ebayekela behamba, baya emathenteni abo.
Then Joshua blessed them and said goodbye to them, and they [prepared to] leave and return to their homes [on the east side of the Jordan River].
7 Njalo kungxenye yesizwe sakoManase uMozisi wayenike indawo eBashani; kodwa kungxenye yayo uJoshuwa wayinika indawo labafowabo nganeno kweJordani entshonalanga. Njalo-ke nxa uJoshuwa ebayekela behamba besiya emathenteni abo, wababusisa.
Moses had given the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh, and land on the west side of the Jordan [River] to the other half of the tribe. Before they left, he [asked God to] bless them.
8 Wakhuluma labo esithi: Buyelani emathenteni enu lilenotho enengi lezifuyo ezinengi kakhulu lilesiliva legolide lethusi lensimbi lezigqoko ezinengi kakhulu; lehlukaniselane impango yezitha zenu labafowenu.
He said, “Go back to your homes and to all the things that you have taken from your enemies—the many animals and silver and gold and [things made of] bronze and iron, and many beautiful clothes. But you should share some of those things with other people of your tribe.”
9 Abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase basebebuyela, besuka ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli bephuma eShilo eselizweni leKhanani, ukuya elizweni leGileyadi, elizweni lelifa labo ababelizuzile, ngokomlayo weNkosi ngesandla sikaMozisi.
So the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelis at Shiloh in Canaan land, to return to their homes in the Gilead region. That was the area that belonged to them. It had been allotted to them by Moses as Yahweh had commanded.
10 Kwathi sebefikile emingceleni yeJordani eselizweni leKhanani, abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase bakha khona ilathi ngaseJordani, ilathi elikhulu ngokubonakala.
The people from those three tribes arrived near the western side of the Jordan River, at a town called Geliloth. There they built a large altar. [Then they crossed the Jordan River to the Gilead region].
11 Kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli besizwa kuthiwa: Khangelani, abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase bakhile ilathi maqondana lelizwe leKhanani emingceleni eJordani ehlangothini lwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
But the other Israelis who were still at Shiloh heard about the altar that those men had built.
12 Kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekuzwa, inhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli yabuthana eShilo ukwenyukela kubo empini.
They became very angry with the men of those tribes, so they decided to fight them.
13 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebethuma kubantwana bakoRubeni lakubantwana bakoGadi lengxenyeni eyodwa kwezimbili yesizwe sakoManase elizweni leGileyadi uPhinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi,
The Israelis sent Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar the Supreme Priest, to [talk with] the people of those three tribes.
14 lezinduna ezilitshumi laye, induna eyodwa ngendlu ngayinye yaboyise ivela kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli; ngayinye yayiyinhloko yendlu yaboyise, kunkulungwane zakoIsrayeli.
They also sent one leader from each of the ten tribes that were still at Shiloh. Each of them was a leader of his clan.
15 Basebefika kubantwana bakoRubeni lakubantwana bakoGadi lengxenyeni eyodwa kwezimbili yesizwe sakoManase elizweni leGileyadi, bakhuluma labo besithi:
Those leaders went to the Gilead region to talk to the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. They said,
16 Itsho njalo inhlangano yonke yeNkosi: Kuyisiphambeko bani eseliphambeke ngaso limelane loNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, liphambuka lamuhla ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, ekuzakheleni ilathi, ukuze lihlamukele iNkosi lamuhla?
“All the other Israelis are asking, ‘Why have you rebelled against the God whom we Israelis [worship] by building an altar for yourselves?
17 Ngabe isiphambeko sePeyori sincinyane kakhulu kithi yini, esingahlanjululwanga kuso kuze kube lamuhla, lanxa inhlupheko yayiphakathi kwenhlangano yeNkosi,
Have you forgotten what happened at Peor, [when some Israelis sinned by worshiping the god that the Moab people-group worship]? Many Israelis became very sick and died because of that sin, and we are still suffering because of their sin.
18 ukuze lina liphenduke lamuhla ekuyilandeleni iNkosi? Kuzakuthi uba lina liyihlamuka iNkosi lamuhla, kusasa izayithukuthelela inhlangano yonke yakoIsrayeli.
Are you now turning away from obeying Yahweh and refusing to do what he wants? If you do not stop rebelling against Yahweh today, he will be angry with all of us Israelis tomorrow.’
19 Kodwa ngeqiniso, uba ilizwe lemfuyo yenu lingcolile, chaphelani lina elizweni lemfuyo yeNkosi lapho ithabhanekele leNkosi elihlala khona, lizizuzele imfuyo phakathi kwethu; kodwa lingayihlamukeli iNkosi njalo lingasihlamukeli ekuzakheleni kwenu ilathi ngaphandle kwelathi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
“If [you think that Yahweh considers] that your land here is not suitable for worshiping him, come back to our land where Yahweh’s Sacred Tent is. We can share our land with you. But do not rebel against Yahweh and against us by building another altar for Yahweh our God.
20 UAkani indodana kaZera kaphambekanga yini ngesiphambeko entweni eqalekisiweyo, kwasekusiba lolaka phezu kwenhlangano yonke yakoIsrayeli? Leyondoda kayibhubhanga-ke yodwa esiphambekweni sayo.
Do you remember what happened when Zerah’s son Achan refused to obey [Yahweh’s command to destroy everything in Jericho]? That one man disobeyed God’s command, but many [HYP] other Israelis were punished. Achan died because of his sin, but other Israelis also died.”
21 Abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase basebephendula bathi kunhloko zezinkulungwane zakoIsrayeli:
The [leaders of the] tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh replied,
22 UNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu, iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu, iNkosi, uyazi, loIsrayeli kakwazi; uba bekungokuhlamuka kumbe uba ngokuphambuka eNkosini, lingasisindisi lamuhla,
“Yahweh, the Almighty God, knows [why we did that], and we want you to know, too. If we have done something wrong [against Yahweh], you may kill us.
23 ukuthi sizakhele ilathi ukuphambuka ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, loba sinikelele phezu kwalo umnikelo wokutshiswa loba umnikelo wokudla, loba ukwenza phezu kwalo iminikelo yokuthula, iNkosi uqobo kayikudinge.
If we have disobeyed one of Yahweh’s laws, we request that he should punish us. We did not build that new altar to completely burn animals as sacrifices to Yahweh, or to offer on it sacrifices of grain or sacrifices to maintain fellowship with God.
24 Kodwa ngeqiniso sikwenze ngokunqineka ngaloludaba sisithi: Kusasa abantwana benu bazakhuluma kubantwana bethu bathi: Lilani leNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli?
“This is the reason that we built that altar: We were afraid/worried that some day your descendants would say that our descendants are not true Israelis. We were afraid that then they would say, ‘You are not allowed to worship Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
25 Ngoba iNkosi iyenzile iJordani yaba ngumngcele phakathi kwethu lani, lina bantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi, kalilasabelo eNkosini. Ngalokho abantwana benu benze abantwana bethu ukuthi bayekele ukuyesaba iNkosi.
Yahweh caused the Jordan River to be a boundary between us and you people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad. So you are not allowed to worship Yahweh.’ We were worried that your descendants would force our descendants to stop worshiping Yahweh.
26 Ngakho sathi: Kasizilungiseleni khathesi ukwakha ilathi, lingabi ngelomnikelo wokutshiswa, njalo lingabi ngelomhlatshelo,
“That is the reason that we decided to build that [new] altar. But it is not an altar for completely burning sacrifices of animals and [burning other] sacrifices.
27 kodwa libe yibufakazi phakathi kwethu lani lezizukulwana zethu emva kwethu, ukuthi sikhonze inkonzo yeNkosi phambi kwayo ngeminikelo yethu yokutshiswa langemihlatshelo yethu langeminikelo yethu yokuthula, ukuze abantwana benu bangathi ebantwaneni bethu kusasa: Kalilasabelo eNkosini.
We built that new altar to prove/show to you and to us and to all of our descendants that we worship Yahweh by completely burning animal sacrifices and offerings of grain and offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh [only at the place Yahweh chooses]. We do not want your descendants to say to our descendants, ‘You do not belong to Yahweh.’
28 Sasesisithi: Kuzakuthi-ke, nxa bekhuluma lokhu kithi lesizukulwaneni sethu kusasa, sizakuthi: Bonani umfanekiso welathi leNkosi obaba abalakhayo, kungeyisilo lomnikelo wokutshiswa lingeyisilo lomhlatshelo, kodwa liyibufakazi phakathi kwethu lani.
“In the future, if your descendants say that, our descendants can say, ‘Look at the altar that our ancestors made! It is exactly like Yahweh’s altar [that our ancestors built], but we do not burn sacrifices on it. It only shows that we are Israelis!’
29 Kakube khatshana lathi ukuthi siyihlamuke iNkosi, lokuthi siphenduke lamuhla ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, ukwakha ilathi lomnikelo wokutshiswa lelomnikelo wokudla lelomhlatshelo, ngaphandle kwelathi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwethabhanekele layo.
We certainly do not want to rebel against Yahweh or stop doing what he desires, by building an altar for completely burning some sacrifices and burning grain offerings and making [other] sacrifices. [We know that] there is only one true altar for Yahweh our God, and it is in front of the Sacred Tent [at Shiloh].”
30 Kwathi uPhinehasi umpristi lenduna zenhlangano lenhloko zezinkulungwane zakoIsrayeli ezazilaye bewezwa amazwi abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi labantwana bakoManase abawakhulumayo, kwakukuhle emehlweni abo.
When Phinehas the priest and the other [ten] leaders heard what they said, they were pleased.
31 UPhinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi wasesithi kubantwana bakoRubeni lakubantwana bakoGadi lakubantwana bakoManase: Lamuhla siyazi ukuthi iNkosi iphakathi kwethu, ngoba kaliphambekanga lesisiphambeko eNkosini; khathesi likhulule abantwana bakoIsrayeli esandleni seNkosi.
So Phinehas said to them, “Now we know that Yahweh is with all of us Israelis, and that you were not rebelling against him [when you built that altar]. And we know that Yahweh will not punish us Israelis [because of your having done that].”
32 UPhinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi lezinduna basebebuyela bevela ebantwaneni bakoRubeni lebantwaneni bakoGadi elizweni leGileyadi, besiya elizweni leKhanani ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, babuyisela ilizwi kubo.
Then Phinehas and the Israeli leaders left the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad in the Gilead region, and returned to Canaan. There they told the other Israelis what had happened.
33 Lodaba lwaluluhle emehlweni abantwana bakoIsrayeli; abantwana bakoIsrayeli bambusisa uNkulunkulu, kabasakhulumanga ngokwenyukela kubo empini ukuchitha ilizwe abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi ababehlala kulo.
They were pleased, and they thanked God. And they did not talk any more about fighting against the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and destroying everything in their land.
34 Abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi balibiza ilathi ngokuthi: Liyibufakazi phakathi kwethu bokuthi iNkosi inguNkulunkulu.
The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad named their new altar ‘A reminder to us all that Yahweh is God’.
