UJoshuwa 24
1 UJoshuwa wasebuthanisa zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli eShekema, wabiza abadala bakoIsrayeli lenhloko zabo labahluleli babo lenduna zabo, bazimisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their leaders, for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God.
2 UJoshuwa wasesithi kubo bonke abantu: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Endulo oyihlo babehlala ngaphetsheya komfula, uTera uyise kaAbrahama loyise kaNahori, babekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
Joshua said to all the people, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'Your ancestors long ago lived beyond the Euphrates River—Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—and they worshiped other gods.
3 Ngasengimthatha uyihlo uAbrahama ngimsusa ngaphetsheya komfula, ngamhambisa wadabula elizweni lonke leKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamnika uIsaka.
But I took your father from beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan and gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.
4 LakuIsaka nganika uJakobe loEsawu. LakuEsawu nganika intaba yeSeyiri ukudla ilifa layo, kodwa uJakobe labantwana bakhe behlela eGibhithe.
Then to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5 Ngasengithuma uMozisi loAroni, ngatshaya iGibhithe, njengalokho engakwenzayo phakathi kwayo; lemva kwalokho ngalikhupha.
I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians with plagues. After that, I brought you out.
6 Ngasengibakhupha oyihlo eGibhithe, lafika elwandle, amaGibhithe asexotshana lani ngenqola langamabhiza aze afika eLwandle oluBomvu.
I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Sea of Reeds.
7 Kwathi bekhala eNkosini, yabeka umnyama phakathi kwenu lamaGibhithe, yaletha ulwandle phezu kwabo, yabasibekela. Lamehlo enu abona engakwenza eGibhithe. Lahlala enkangala insuku ezinengi.
When your ancestors called out to Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians. He brought the sea to come over them and cover them. You saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
8 Ngasengililetha elizweni lamaAmori ayehlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani, asesilwa lani, ngawanikela esandleni senu, lalidla ilifa lelizwe lawo, ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.
9 UBalaki indodana kaZipori inkosi yakoMowabi wasesukuma walwa loIsrayeli, wathuma wabiza uBalami indodana kaBeyori ukuthi aliqalekise.
Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, got up and attacked Israel. He sent and called for Balaam son of Beor, to curse you.
10 Kodwa kangithandanga ukulalela uBalami; ngakho walibusisa lokulibusisa, ngasengilikhulula esandleni sakhe.
But I did not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I rescued you out of his hand.
11 Lachapha iJordani, lafika eJeriko, izakhamizi zeJeriko zalwa zimelene lani, amaAmori, lamaPerizi, lamaKhanani, lamaHethi, lamaGirigashi, amaHivi, lamaJebusi; ngawanikela esandleni senu.
You went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders of Jericho fought against you, along with the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I gave you victory over them and put them under your control.
12 Ngathuma olonyovu phambi kwenu abawaxotsha phambi kwenu, amakhosi amabili amaAmori; hatshi ngenkemba yakho njalo hatshi ngedandili lakho.
I sent the hornet before you, which drove them and the two kings of the Amorites out before you. It did not happen by your sword or by your bow.
13 Ngasengilinika ilizwe elingalisebenzelanga, lemizi elingayakhanga, lihlala kiyo. Lidla okwezivini lezivande zemihlwathi elingakuhlanyelanga.
I gave you land on which you had not worked and cities that you had not built, and now you live in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.'
14 Khathesi-ke yesabeni iNkosi, liyikhonze ngobuqotho langeqiniso, lisuse onkulunkulu oyihlo ababakhonza ngaphetsheya komfula leGibhithe, njalo likhonze iNkosi.
Now fear Yahweh and worship him with all integrity and faithfulness; get rid of the gods that your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh.
15 Uba-ke kukubi emehlweni enu ukuyikhonza iNkosi, zikhetheleni lamuhla lowo elizamkhonza; kumbe onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo ababengaphetsheya komfula, loba onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa mina lendlu yami sizayikhonza iNkosi.
If it seems wrong in your eyes for you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But as for me and my house, we will worship Yahweh.”
16 Basebephendula abantu besithi: Kakube khatshana lathi ukuthi sitshiye iNkosi, sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu.
The people answered and said, “We would never forsake Yahweh to serve other gods,
17 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu iyiyo eyasenyusayo labobaba sivela elizweni leGibhithe, endlini yobugqili, eyenza phambi kwamehlo ethu lezizibonakaliso ezinkulu, yasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba kiyo, laphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esedlule phakathi kwabo.
for it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight, and who preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the nations through whom we passed.
18 INkosi yasixotsha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, lamaAmori ayehlala elizweni. Thina lathi sizayikhonza iNkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu wethu.
Then Yahweh drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship Yahweh, for he is our God.”
19 UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Kalilakuyikhonza iNkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu ongcwele, inguNkulunkulu olobukhwele. Kayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu lezono zenu.
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins.
20 Uba liyitshiya iNkosi likhonze onkulunkulu abezizwe, izaphenduka yenze okubi kini, iliqede, emva kokuthi ilenzele okuhle.
If you forsake Yahweh and worship foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm. He will consume you, after he has done good to you.”
21 Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: Hatshi, kodwa sizayikhonza iNkosi.
But the people said to Joshua, “No, we will worship Yahweh.”
22 UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Lingabafakazi ngani ukuthi lina lizikhethele iNkosi ukuyikhonza. Basebesithi: Singabafakazi.
Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves Yahweh, to worship him.” They said, “We are witnesses.”
23 Khathesi-ke, susani onkulunkulu abezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, lithobele inhliziyo yenu eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
“Now put away the foreign gods that are with you, and turn your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.”
24 Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu sizayikhonza, lelizwi layo sililalele.
The people said to Joshua, “We will worship Yahweh our God. We will listen to his voice.”
25 Ngakho uJoshuwa wasebenzela abantu isivumelwano ngalolosuku, wababekela isimiso lesimiselo eShekema.
Joshua made a covenant with the people that day. He put in place decrees and laws at Shechem.
26 UJoshuwa wasebhala lawomazwi egwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu; wathatha ilitshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi elingasendlini engcwele yeNkosi.
Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. He took a large stone and set it up there beneath the oak tree that was beside Yahweh's sanctuary.
27 UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini bonke: Khangelani, lelilitshe lizakuba yibufakazi ngathi, ngoba liwezwile wonke amazwi eNkosi eyawakhuluma kithi; ngakho lizakuba yibufakazi ngani, hlezi lenze inkohliso kuNkulunkulu wenu.
Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a testimony against us. It has heard all the words Yahweh said to us. So it will be a witness against you, should you ever deny your God.”
28 UJoshuwa wasebayekela abantu ukuthi bahambe, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe.
So Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.
29 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku yeNkosi, wafa eleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being 110 years old.
30 Basebemngcwabela emngceleni welifa lakhe eThiminathi-Sera esentabeni yakoEfrayimi enyakatho kwentaba iGahashi.
They buried him within the border of his own inheritance, at Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 Njalo uIsrayeli wayikhonza iNkosi zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa lazo zonke izinsuku zabadala abelula insuku emva kukaJoshuwa, njalo ababewazi wonke umsebenzi weNkosi eyawenzela uIsrayeli.
Israel worshiped Yahweh all of Joshua's days, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, those who had experienced everything that Yahweh had done for Israel.
32 Lamathambo kaJosefa abantwana bakoIsrayeli ababenyuke lawo bevela eGibhithe bawangcwaba eShekema, esiqintini sensimu uJakobe asithenga kubantwana bakaHamori uyise kaShekema ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezilikhulu; saba-ke yilifa labantwana bakoJosefa.
The bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up out of Egypt—they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. He bought it for one hundred pieces of silver, and it became an inheritance for the descendants of Joseph.
33 UEleyazare indodana kaAroni wasesifa, bamngcwaba eqaqeni lukaPhinehasi indodana yakhe, ayeluphiwe entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
Eleazar son of Aaron also died. They buried him at Gibeah, the city of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him. It was in the hill country of Ephraim.
