< Abahluleli 1 >
1 Kwasekusithi emva kokufa kukaJoshuwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli babuza iNkosi besithi: Ngubani ozasenyukelela ukuyamelana lamaKhanani kuqala ukulwa emelene labo?
2 INkosi yasisithi: UJuda uzakwenyuka; khangelani, ngilinikele ilizwe esandleni sakhe.
3 UJuda wasesithi kuSimeyoni umfowabo: Yenyuka lami enkathweni yami ukuze silwe simelene lamaKhanani; lami-ke ngizahamba lawe enkathweni yakho. USimeyoni wasehamba laye.
4 UJuda wasesenyuka, njalo iNkosi yanikela amaKhanani lamaPerizi esandleni sabo; bawatshaya eBezeki, amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi.
5 Basebefica uAdoni-Bezeki eBezeki, balwa bemelene laye, bawatshaya amaKhanani lamaPerizi.
6 Kodwa uAdoni-Bezeki wabaleka, baxotshana laye, bambamba, baquma izithupha zezandla zakhe lamazwane akhe amakhulu.
7 UAdoni-Bezeki wasesithi: Amakhosi angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aqunywe izithupha zezandla zawo lezenyawo zawo ayedobha ngaphansi kwetafula lami. Njengokwenza kwami, ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu ungiphindisele. Basebemusa eJerusalema, wafela khona.
8 Abantwana bakoJuda balwa-ke bemelene leJerusalema, bayithumba, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, lomuzi bawuthungela ngomlilo.
9 Emva kwalokho-ke abantwana bakoJuda behla ukuyakulwa bemelene lamaKhanani ayehlala entabeni leningizimu lesihotsheni.
10 UJuda wasehamba wamelana lamaKhanani ayehlala eHebroni; lebizo leHebroni kuqala kwakuyiKiriyathi-Arba; batshaya uSheshayi loAhimani loTalimayi.
11 Basuka lapho baya bamelana labahlali beDebiri. Lebizo leDebiri kuqala kwakuyiKiriyathi-Seferi.
12 UKalebi wasesithi: Ozatshaya iKiriyathi-Seferi, ayithumbe, ngizamnika uAkisa indodakazi yami ibe ngumkakhe.
13 UOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi umfowabo kaKalebi, owayemncane kulaye, waseyithumba; wasemnika uAkisa indodakazi yakhe ukuba ngumkakhe.
14 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwakhe wamkhuthaza ukuthi acele kuyise insimu; wasesehla kubabhemi, uKalebi wasesithi kuye: Ulani?
15 Wasesithi kuye: Ngipha isibusiso. Njengoba ungiphe ilizwe leningizimu, ngipha njalo imithombo yamanzi. UKalebi wasemnika imithombo engaphezulu lemithombo engaphansi.
16 Abantwana bomKeni, uyisezala kaMozisi, basebesenyuka besuka emzini wamalala, belabantwana bakoJuda, baya enkangala yakoJuda, eseningizimu kweAradi; baya bahlala phakathi kwabantu.
17 UJuda wasehamba loSimeyoni umfowabo, bawatshaya amaKhanani ayehlala eZefathi, bayitshabalalisa. Ngakho ibizo lomuzi lathiwa yiHorma.
18 UJuda wasethumba iGaza lomngcele wayo, leAshikeloni lomngcele wayo, leEkhironi lomngcele wayo.
19 INkosi yasisiba loJuda, wadla ilifa lezintaba, kodwa wayengelakubaxotsha elifeni abahlali besigodi, ngoba babelezinqola zensimbi.
20 Basebenika uKalebi iHebroni, njengokutsho kukaMozisi; wasexotsha elifeni esuka lapho amadodana amathathu kaAnaki.
21 Kodwa abantwana bakoBhenjamini kabawaxotshanga elifeni amaJebusi ayehlala eJerusalema; ngakho amaJebusi ahlala labantwana bakoBhenjamini eJerusalema kuze kube lamuhla.
22 Lendlu kaJosefa, labo benyukela eBhetheli; njalo iNkosi yayilabo.
23 Indlu kaJosefa yasithuma inhloli eBhetheli; lebizo lomuzi kuqala laliyiLuzi.
24 Abalindi basebebona umuntu ephuma emzini, bathi kuye: Akusitshengise indlela yokungena emzini, besesikwenzela umusa.
25 Esebatshengise indlela yokungena emzini, bawutshaya umuzi ngobukhali benkemba, kodwa lowomuntu losapho lwakhe lonke babayekela bahamba.
26 Lowomuntu wasesiya elizweni lamaHethi, wakha umuzi, wabiza ibizo lawo ngokuthi yiLuzi; yilelo ibizo lawo kuze kube lamuhla.
27 UManase kaxotshanga-ke iBeti-Sheyani lemizana yayo, leThahanakhi lemizana yayo, labahlali beDori lemizana yayo, labahlali beIbileyamu lemizana yayo, labahlali beMegido lemizana yayo; kodwa amaKhanani afuna ukuhlala kulelolizwe.
28 Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli eselamandla wawamisa amaKhanani kusibhalo, kodwa kawaxotshanga lokuwaxotsha elifeni.
29 UEfrayimi kawaxotshanga-ke elifeni amaKhanani ayehlala eGezeri, kodwa amaKhanani ahlala eGezeri phakathi kwabo.
30 UZebuluni kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beKitroni labahlali beNahaloli, kodwa amaKhanani ahlala phakathi kwabo, aba yizibhalwa.
31 UAsheri kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beAko labahlali beSidoni leAhilabi leAkizibi leHeliba leAfiki leRehobi;
32 kodwa abakoAsheri bahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani abahlali belizwe, ngoba kabawaxotshanga elifeni.
33 UNafithali kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beBeti-Shemeshi labahlali beBeti-Anathi, kodwa wahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani, abahlali belizwe; kodwa abahlali beBeti-Shemeshi labeBeti-Anathi baba yizibhalwa kubo.
34 AmaAmori asebafuqela abantwana bakoDani entabeni, ngoba kawabavumelanga ukwehlela esigodini.
35 Kodwa amaAmori ayefuna ukuhlala entabeni yeHeresi eAjaloni leShahalibimi, kodwa isandla sendlu kaJosefa saba nzima, aba yizibhalwa.
36 Umngcele wamaAmori wawusukela emqansweni weAkirabimi, uvela edwaleni usiya phezulu.
