< UJoshuwa 6 >

1 IJeriko yayivaliwe-ke ngci ngenxa yabantwana bakoIsrayeli. Kakho owaphumayo, njalo kakho owangenayo.
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in.
2 INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Bona, nginikele esandleni sakho iJeriko lenkosi yayo lamaqhawe alamandla.
The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.
3 Lizawubhoda-ke umuzi, wonke amadoda empi, awubhode umuzi kanye. Uzakwenza njalo insuku eziyisithupha.
All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days.
4 Labapristi abayisikhombisa bazathwala impondo zenqama eziyisikhombisa phambi komtshokotsho; kuthi ngosuku lwesikhombisa lizawubhoda umuzi kasikhombisa, labapristi bevuthela impondo.
Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho bekhalisa uphondo lwenqama isikhathi eside, nxa lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, abantu bonke bazamemeza ngokuklabalala okukhulu, lomduli womuzi uzadilikela phansi; labantu bazakwenyuka, ngulowo lalowo maqondana laye.
It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”
6 Ngakho uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wabiza abapristi wathi kibo: Thwalani umtshokotsho wesivumelwano, labapristi abayisikhombisa bathwale impondo zezinqama eziyisikhombisa phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi.
Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD’s ark.”
7 Wasesithi ebantwini: Dlulani liwuzingelezele umuzi, lohlomileyo kadlule phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi.
They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the LORD’s ark.”
8 Kwasekusithi uJoshuwa esekhulume ebantwini, abapristi abayisikhombisa bethwele impondo eziyisikhombisa zenqama bakhokhela phambi kweNkosi, bavuthela impondo, lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi wabalandela.
It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them.
9 Abahlomileyo basebehamba phambi kwabapristi ababevuthela izimpondo, lesigaba sasemuva salandela umtshokotsho, bahamba bevuthela izimpondo.
The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.
10 UJoshuwa wayelaye-ke abantu esithi: Lingamemezi, loba lizwakalise ilizwi lenu; kungaphumi lizwi emlonyeni wenu kuze kube lusuku engizalitshela ngalo ukuthi limemeze; beselimemeza.
Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”
11 Ngakho umtshokotsho weNkosi wawubhoda umuzi, uzingelezela kanye; basebesiza enkambeni, balala enkambeni ebusuku.
So he caused the LORD’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp.
12 UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, labapristi bathwala umtshokotsho weNkosi.
Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark.
13 Labapristi abayisikhombisa bephethe impondo zezinqama eziyisikhombisa phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi baqhubeka behamba, bevuthela izimpondo, labahlomileyo bahamba phambi kwabo, lesigaba sasemuva salandela umtshokotsho weNkosi, bahamba bevuthela izimpondo.
The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the LORD’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the LORD’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went.
14 Langosuku lwesibili bawuzingelezela umuzi kanye, babuyela enkambeni. Benza njalo insuku eziyisithupha.
The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.
15 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bavuka ngovivi emadabukakusa, bawubhoda umuzi kasikhombisa ngendlela efananayo. Kuphela ngalolosuku bawubhoda umuzi kasikhombisa.
On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times.
16 Kwasekusithi ngesikhathi sesikhombisa, abapristi bavuthela impondo, uJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Memezani, ngoba iNkosi ilinikile umuzi.
At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!
17 Kodwa umuzi wona lakho konke okukuwo kuzakwehlukaniselwa eNkosini; nguRahabi iwule kuphela ozaphila, yena labo bonke alabo endlini yakhe, ngoba wafihla izithunywa esazithumayo.
The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 Kodwa lina sibili zigcineni kokuqalekisiweyo, hlezi lizenze abaqalekisiweyo nxa lithatha kokuqalekisiweyo, lenze inkamba yakoIsrayeli ibe yinto eqalekisiweyo, liyihluphe.
But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it.
19 Kodwa sonke isiliva legolide, lezitsha zethusi lezensimbi, kungcwele eNkosini. Kuzakuza endlini yokuligugu kweNkosi.
But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the LORD’s treasury.”
20 Abantu basebememeza, kwavuthelwa izimpondo. Kwasekusithi abantu besizwa ukukhala kwempondo, abantu bamemeza ngokuklabalala okukhulu, umduli wadilikela phansi, labantu benyukela emzini, ngulowo lalowo maqondana laye, bawuthumba umuzi.
So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
21 Batshabalalisa konke okusemzini, kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela komutsha kusiya komdala, kuze kube senkabini lemvini lobabhemi, ngobukhali benkemba.
They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 Lakulawomadoda amabili ayeyehlola ilizwe uJoshuwa wathi: Ngenani endlini yowesifazana oliwule, likhuphe kuyo owesifazana lakho konke alakho, njengokufunga kwenu kuye.
Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.”
23 Lamajaha izinhloli angena akhupha uRahabi loyise lonina labanewabo lakho konke ayelakho; akhupha zonke izihlobo zakhe, azibeka ngaphandle kwenkamba yakoIsrayeli.
The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel.
24 Basebewutshisa umuzi ngomlilo lakho konke okwakukiwo; kuphela isiliva legolide lezitsha zethusi lezensimbi bakufaka kokuligugu kwendlu yeNkosi.
They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.
25 Ngakho uRahabi iwule, lendlu kayise, labo bonke ayelabo, uJoshuwa wabayekela bephila; wahlala phakathi koIsrayeli kuze kube lamuhla, ngoba wafihla izithunywa uJoshuwa ayezithume ukuhlola iJeriko.
But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 UJoshuwa wabafungisa esithi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu phambi kweNkosi osukuma akhe lumuzi iJeriko. Uzawusekela ngezibulo lakhe, amise amasango awo ngecinathunjana lakhe.
Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.”
27 Ngokunjalo iNkosi yaba loJoshuwa, lodumo lwakhe lwaba selizweni lonke.
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

< UJoshuwa 6 >