UJoshuwa 7
1 Kodwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphambuka ngesiphambeko ngokuqalekisiweyo. Ngoba uAkani indodana kaKarmi indodana kaZabidi indodana kaZera owesizwe sakoJuda wathatha kokuqalekisiweyo; ulaka lweNkosi lwaselubavuthela abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
But the sons of Israel transgressed the commandment, and they usurped what was anathema. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took something from what was anathema. And the Lord became angry against the sons of Israel.
2 UJoshuwa wasethuma abantu besuka eJeriko besiya eAyi eliseduze leBeti-Aveni empumalanga kweBhetheli, wakhuluma kibo esithi: Yenyukani liyehlola ilizwe. Abantu basebesenyuka bayihlola iAyi.
And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Ai, which is beside Bethaven, toward the eastern region of the town of Bethel, he said to them, “Go up and explore the land.” And they fulfilled his instruction, and they explored Ai.
3 Basebebuyela kuJoshuwa bathi kuye: Kakungenyuki bonke abantu; kakwenyuke phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezimbili loba phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezintathu ukutshaya iAyi. Ungadinisi bonke abantu ngokuya khona, ngoba balutshwana.
And returning, they said to him: “Let not the entire people go up. Instead, let two or three thousand men go out and destroy the city. Why should all the people be troubled without cause against enemies that are so very few?”
4 Kwasekusenyukela khona abavela ebantwini amadoda aphosa abe zinkulungwane ezintathu; abaleka phambi kwamadoda eAyi.
Therefore, they went up with three thousand fighters. And they promptly turned their backs,
5 Lamadoda eAyi atshaya phose amadoda angamatshumi amathathu lesithupha, axotshana lawo phambi kwesango aze afika eShebarimi, awatshayela ekwehleni. Ngakho inhliziyo yabantu yancibilika yaba ngamanzi.
and were struck down by the men of the city of Ai. And thirty-six men of them fell. And the adversaries pursued them from the gate, even as far as Shebarim. And they felled them as they were fleeing downward. And the heart of the people was struck with fear, and it melted like water.
6 UJoshuwa wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi kwaze kwahlwa, yena labadala bakoIsrayeli, bathela uthuli emakhanda abo.
And truly, Joshua tore his garments, and he fell prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord, even until evening, both he and all the elders of Israel. And they cast dust upon their heads.
7 UJoshuwa wasesithi: Maye Nkosi Jehova! Ubachaphiseleni lokubachaphisa lababantu iJordani ukusinikela esandleni samaAmori ukusibhubhisa? Kungathi ngabe seneliswa sahlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani!
And Joshua said: “Alas, O Lord God! Why would you want to lead this people over the river Jordan, so that you might deliver us into the hand of the Amorite and destroy us? I wish that we had remained beyond the Jordan, as when we began.
8 O Nkosi, ngizakuthini, emva kokuthi uIsrayeli esephendule intamo ezitheni zakhe?
My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning their backs to their enemies?
9 Ngoba amaKhanani labo bonke abakhileyo elizweni bazakuzwa, basihanqe, baliqume ibizo lethu lisuke emhlabeni. Pho, uzalenzelani ibizo lakho elikhulu?
The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and coming together as one, they will surround us, and they will wipe our name from the earth. And what will you do concerning your great name?”
10 INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Sukuma wena, uweleni kanje ngobuso bakho?
And the Lord said to Joshua: “Rise up. Why are you lying flat on the ground?
11 UIsrayeli wonile; njalo baseqile isivumelwano sami engabalaya sona, bathethe futhi kokuqalekisiweyo, njalo bebile, baqamba amanga futhi, yebo bakubekile empahleni zabo.
Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant. And they have taken from what is anathema. And they have stolen and lied, and they have hidden it among their goods.
12 Ngalokho abantwana bakoIsrayeli babengelakuma phambi kwezitha zabo, baphendula umhlana phambi kwezitha zabo, ngoba beqalekisiwe. Kangisayikuba lani uba lingabhubhisi okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
Israel is not able to stand before his enemies, and he will flee from them. For he has been defiled by what is anathema. I will no longer be with you, until you destroy him who is guilty of this wickedness.
13 Sukuma, ngcwelisa abantu, uthi: Zingcweliseleleni ikusasa; ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Kukhona okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwakho, Israyeli; ungeke ume phambi kwezitha zakho lize likhuphe okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
Rise up. Sanctify the people. And you shall say to them: ‘Be sanctified tomorrow. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: That which is anathema is in your midst, O Israel! You are not able to stand before your enemies, until he who has been contaminated by this wickedness is taken away from you.’
14 Ngakho ekuseni lizasondezwa ngezizwe zenu; kuzakuthi-ke isizwe iNkosi ezasibamba sizasondela ngensendo, losendo iNkosi ezalubamba luzasondela ngezindlu, lendlu iNkosi ezayibamba izasondela ngabantu.
And you shall draw near in the morning, each one by your tribes. And whichever tribe will be found by lot shall come forward by its families, and the families by houses, and the house by the men.
15 Kuzakuthi-ke lowo ozabanjwa lokuqalekisiweyo uzatshiswa ngomlilo, yena lakho konke alakho, ngoba eqe isivumelwano seNkosi, langoba enze ubuphukuphuku koIsrayeli.
And whoever he may be that will be found guilty of this deed, he shall be burnt with fire with all his substance. For he transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and he committed a wicked act in Israel.”
16 UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wenza uIsrayeli wasondela ngezizwe zakhe; lesizwe sakoJuda sabanjwa;
And so Joshua, rising in the morning, brought forth Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was found.
17 wasesenza usendo lwakoJuda lusondele, wabamba usendo lwakoZera; wenza usendo lwakoZera lusondele ngabantu; uZabidi wasebanjwa;
And when its families had been presented, the family of Zerah was found. Likewise, bringing that one forward by the houses, he discovered Zabdi.
18 wasesenza indlu yakhe isondele ngabantu; uAkani, indodana kaKarmi, indodana kaZabidi, indodana kaZera, owesizwe sakoJuda, wasebanjwa.
And dividing his house by each man, he found Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah.
19 UJoshuwa wasesithi kuAkani: Ndodana yami, ake unike iNkosi udumo, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, uvume kuye; ake ungitshele lokho okwenzileyo, ungangifihleli.
And Joshua said to Achan: “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess, and reveal to me what you have done. You may not conceal it.”
20 UAkani wasephendula uJoshuwa wathi: Isibili mina ngonile eNkosini, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli. Ngokunje langokunje ngikwenzile.
And Achan responded to Joshua, and he said to him: “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and I have done one thing and another.
21 Kwathi ngibona phakathi kwempango isembatho seBhabhiloni esihle esisodwa, lamashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amabili, lolimi lwegolide olulodwa osisindo salo singamashekeli angamatshumi amahlanu, ngakuhawukela, ngakuthatha, khangela-ke, kuthukuziwe emhlabathini phakathi kwethente lami, lesiliva singaphansi kwakho.
For I saw among the spoils a very fine scarlet cloak, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold bar of fifty shekels. And coveting these, I took and hid them in the ground near the middle of my tent, and I covered the silver with the soil that I had dug.”
22 UJoshuwa wasethuma izithunywa, zagijima zaya ethenteni, khangela-ke, kwakufihliwe ethenteni lakhe, lesiliva singaphansi kwakho.
Therefore, Joshua sent ministers, who, running to his tent, discovered everything hidden in the same place, together with the silver.
23 Bakukhupha phakathi kwethente, bakuletha kuJoshuwa lebantwaneni bonke bakoIsrayeli, bakuthululela phambi kweNkosi.
And taking these from the tent, they brought them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they cast them down before the Lord.
24 UJoshuwa loIsrayeli wonke ekanye laye basebemthatha uAkani indodana kaZera, lesiliva, lesembatho, lolimi lwegolide, lamadodana akhe, lamadodakazi akhe, lenkabi zakhe, labobabhemi bakhe, lezimvu zakhe, lethente lakhe, lakho konke ayelakho, bakwenyusela esihotsheni seAkori.
And so Joshua took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the gold bar, also his sons and daughters, the oxen and donkeys and sheep, and even the tent and all his goods, (and all of Israel went with him, ) and he brought these to the valley of Achor.
25 UJoshuwa wasesithi: Usihlupheleni? INkosi izakuhlupha lamuhla. LoIsrayeli wonke wamkhanda ngamatshe; babatshisa ngomlilo, babakhanda ngamatshe.
There, Joshua said: “Because you have troubled us, the Lord troubles you, on this day.” And all of Israel stoned him. And all the things that were his were consumed by fire.
26 Bamisa phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu yamatshe kuze kube lamuhla. Ngalokho iNkosi yaphenduka ekuvutheni kolaka lwayo. Ngakho ibizo laleyondawo labizwa ngokuthi yisihotsha seAkori, kuze kube lamuhla.
And they gathered upon him a great pile of stones, which remains even to the present day. And the fury of the Lord was averted from them. And the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor, even to this day.
