UJoshuwa 24
1 UJoshuwa wasebuthanisa zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli eShekema, wabiza abadala bakoIsrayeli lenhloko zabo labahluleli babo lenduna zabo, bazimisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, 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, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor. They served other gods.
3 Ngasengimthatha uyihlo uAbrahama ngimsusa ngaphetsheya komfula, ngamhambisa wadabula elizweni lonke leKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamnika uIsaka.
I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his offspring, and gave him Isaac.
4 LakuIsaka nganika uJakobe loEsawu. LakuEsawu nganika intaba yeSeyiri ukudla ilifa layo, kodwa uJakobe labantwana bakhe behlela eGibhithe.
I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 Ngasengithuma uMozisi loAroni, ngatshaya iGibhithe, njengalokho engakwenzayo phakathi kwayo; lemva kwalokho ngalikhupha.
“‘I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 Ngasengibakhupha oyihlo eGibhithe, lafika elwandle, amaGibhithe asexotshana lani ngenqola langamabhiza aze afika eLwandle oluBomvu.
I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Sea of Suf.
7 Kwathi bekhala eNkosini, yabeka umnyama phakathi kwenu lamaGibhithe, yaletha ulwandle phezu kwabo, yabasibekela. Lamehlo enu abona engakwenza eGibhithe. Lahlala enkangala insuku ezinengi.
When they cried out to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness many days.
8 Ngasengililetha elizweni lamaAmori ayehlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani, asesilwa lani, ngawanikela esandleni senu, lalidla ilifa lelizwe lawo, ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
“‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you.
9 UBalaki indodana kaZipori inkosi yakoMowabi wasesukuma walwa loIsrayeli, wathuma wabiza uBalami indodana kaBeyori ukuthi aliqalekise.
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,
10 Kodwa kangithandanga ukulalela uBalami; ngakho walibusisa lokulibusisa, ngasengilikhulula esandleni sakhe.
but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered 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 men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
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 out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.
13 Ngasengilinika ilizwe elingalisebenzelanga, lemizi elingayakhanga, lihlala kiyo. Lidla okwezivini lezivande zemihlwathi elingakuhlanyelanga.
I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’
14 Khathesi-ke yesabeni iNkosi, liyikhonze ngobuqotho langeqiniso, lisuse onkulunkulu oyihlo ababakhonza ngaphetsheya komfula leGibhithe, njalo likhonze iNkosi.
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve the LORD.
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 evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Basebephendula abantu besithi: Kakube khatshana lathi ukuthi sitshiye iNkosi, sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu.
The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, 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 the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the middle of whom we passed.
18 INkosi yasixotsha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, lamaAmori ayehlala elizweni. Thina lathi sizayikhonza iNkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu wethu.
The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD; for he is our God.”
19 UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Kalilakuyikhonza iNkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu ongcwele, inguNkulunkulu olobukhwele. Kayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu lezono zenu.
Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.
20 Uba liyitshiya iNkosi likhonze onkulunkulu abezizwe, izaphenduka yenze okubi kini, iliqede, emva kokuthi ilenzele okuhle.
If you forsake the LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.”
21 Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: Hatshi, kodwa sizayikhonza iNkosi.
The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”
22 UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Lingabafakazi ngani ukuthi lina lizikhethele iNkosi ukuyikhonza. Basebesithi: Singabafakazi.
Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD yourselves, to serve him.” They said, “We are witnesses.”
23 Khathesi-ke, susani onkulunkulu abezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, lithobele inhliziyo yenu eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
“Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu sizayikhonza, lelizwi layo sililalele.
The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and we will listen to his voice.”
25 Ngakho uJoshuwa wasebenzela abantu isivumelwano ngalolosuku, wababekela isimiso lesimiselo eShekema.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in 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 scroll of the Torah of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
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, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the LORD’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you 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 the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old.
30 Basebemngcwabela emngceleni welifa lakhe eThiminathi-Sera esentabeni yakoEfrayimi enyakatho kwentaba iGahashi.
They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of 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 served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that he had worked 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.
They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 UEleyazare indodana kaAroni wasesifa, bamngcwaba eqaqeni lukaPhinehasi indodana yakhe, ayeluphiwe entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
