UJoshuwa 23
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwensuku ezinengi emva kokuthi iNkosi isimphumuzile uIsrayeli ezitheni zonke zabo inhlangothi zonke, loJoshuwa wayesemdala elensuku ezinengi,
Ngemva kwesikhathi eside njalo uThixo esephumuze abako-Israyeli kuzozonke izitha zabo ezazibagombolozele, uJoshuwa ngalesosikhathi esekhulile eseleminyaka eminengi,
2 uJoshuwa wabiza uIsrayeli wonke, abadala babo, lenhloko zabo, labahluleli babo, lenduna zabo, wathi kubo: Mina sengimdala ngilensuku ezinengi.
wabiza bonke abako-Israyeli, abadala babo, abakhokheli babo, abahluleli babo leziphathamandla zabo wathi kubo: “Sengimdala njalo sengiluphele kakhulu.
3 Lina selibonile konke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ekwenzileyo kulezizizwe zonke ngenxa yenu, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yiyo elilweleyo.
Lina ngokwenu selikubonile konke lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akwenzileyo kuzozonke lezi izizwe esenzela lina; nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu owalilwelayo.
4 Bonani, ngilabele ngenkatho lezizizwe eziseleyo zibe yilifa lezizwe zenu, kusukela eJordani, lazo zonke izizwe engiziqumileyo, ngitsho kuze kube selwandle olukhulu lapho okutshona khona ilanga.
Khumbulani ukuthi ngalabela njani ukuba kube yilifa lenu lezizwana zenu wonke umhlaba wezizwe ezasalayo, izizwe engazinqobayo, phakathi kweJodani loLwandle Olukhulu entshonalanga.
5 INkosi uNkulunkulu wenu izazixotsha-ke phambi kwenu, izixotshe elifeni phambi kwenu, njalo lizakudla ilifa lelizwe, njengalokho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ikhulumile kini.
UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngokwakhe uzabaxotsha endleleni yenu. Uzabasusa lina lingakafiki, njalo lina lizathatha umhlaba wabo, njengokuthembisa kukaThixo uNkulunkulu.
6 Ngakho qinani kakhulu ukugcina lokwenza konke okubhaliweyo egwalweni lomlayo kaMozisi, ukuze lingaphambuki kuwo liye ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo,
Qinani kakhulu; linanzelele ukuthi lilalela konke okulotshwe eGwalweni lwemiThetho kaMosi, lingaphambukelanga kwesokudla kumbe esenxele.
7 ukuze lingangeni kulezi izizwe, lezi ezisele lani, lingaphathi ibizo labonkulunkulu bazo, lingafungisi ngabo, lingabakhonzi, lingakhothami kubo,
Lingaze lazisondeza ezizweni lezi eziphakathi kwenu; lingaze labiza amagama abonkulunkulu bazo kumbe lifunge ngabo. Akumelanga ukuthi libasebenzele lokubakhothamela.
8 kodwa linamathele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu njengoba lenzile kuze kube lamuhla.
Kodwa kumele libambelele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengalokhu eselikwenze kwaze kwaba khathesi.
9 Ngoba iNkosi ixotshile elifeni phambi kwenu izizwe ezinkulu lezilamandla; lina-ke kakulamuntu ome phambi kwenu kuze kube lamuhla.
UThixo usezixotshile phambi kwenu izizwe ezilamandla; kuze kube lamhla kakho owenelisa ukumelana lani.
10 Umuntu oyedwa kini uzaxotsha inkulungwane, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yiyo elilwelayo, njengalokho ikhulumile kini.
Oyedwa wenu uyenelisa ukwehlula abantu abayinkulungwane eyodwa ngenxa yokuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uyalilwela njengokuthembisa kwakhe.
11 Ngakho ziqaphelisiseni ukuthanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu.
Ngakho-ke nanzelelani ukuthi liyamthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
12 Ngoba uba libuyela lokubuyela, linamathele kunsali yalezizizwe, lezi ezisele lani, lithathane lazo, lingene kuzo, lazo kini,
Kodwa lingabaleka beselisiba lobungane lalabo abasindileyo phakathi kwezizwe lezi ezizasala phakathi kwenu njalo lingavumelana lokuthathana lokudlelana lazo,
13 yazini lokwazi ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu kayiyikuqhubeka ngokuzixotsha elifeni lezizizwe phambi kwenu; kodwa zizakuba yisifu lomjibila kini, zibe luswazi enhlangothini zenu, lameva emehlweni enu, lize libhubhe liphele kulelilizwe elihle, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu elinike lona.
lapho lingaba leqiniso lokuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kasoze azixotshe izizwe phambi kwenu. Kodwa-ke zizakuba yimijibila lezithiyo kini, zizakuba yiziswebhu emihlane yenu lameva emehlweni enu, lize libhujiswe elizweni leli elihle uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
14 Khangelani-ke, ngihamba lamuhla ngendlela yomhlaba wonke. Njalo liyazi enhliziyweni yenu yonke lemphefumulweni wenu wonke ukuthi akukho lelizwi elilodwa elehlulekayo kuwo wonke amazwi amahle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ewakhulumileyo phezu kwenu; wonke ezile kini, akukho lelizwi elilodwa elehlulekayo kuwo.
Khathesi sengizahamba ngendlela yomhlaba wonke. Liyazi ngezinhliziyo zenu lemiphefumulo ukuthi kasikho isithembiso lasinye esihle phakathi kwalezo elazinikwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esehlulekayo. Zonke izithembiso sezagcwaliswa; kasikho lesisodwa esehlulekayo.
15 Kuzakuthi-ke, njengalokhu zonke izinto ezinhle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu eyazikhuluma kini sezilehlele, ngokunjalo iNkosi izalehlisela zonke izinto ezimbi, ize ilibhubhise liphele kulelilizwe elihle iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu elinike lona.
Kodwa njengoba zonke izithembiso ezinhle zikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu seziphumelele, kunjalo uThixo uzalilethela bonke ububi alethusela ngabo, aze alibhubhise elizweni leli elihle alinike lona.
16 Uba liseqa isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu eyalilaya sona, lisuke liyekhonza abanye onkulunkulu, likhothame kibo, khona ulaka lweNkosi luzalivuthela, libhubhe masinyane liphele kulelilizwe elihle elinike lona.
Lingephula isivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, owalilayayo ngaso liyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu libakhothamele, ulaka lukaThixo luzavutha kini, njalo lizabhubha ngokuphangisa elizweni elihle alinike lona.”
