UJoshuwa 8:1-29

UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi, ungabi naluvalo; suka nabo bonke abantu bempi, ukhuphuke uye e-Ayi; bheka, nginikele esandleni sakho inkosi yase-Ayi, nabantu bayo, nomuzi wayo, nezwe layo; uyakwenza kulo i-Ayi nenkosi yalo njengalokho wenza kulo iJeriko nenkosi yalo; impango yalo kuphela nezinkomo zalo niyakuziphangela khona. Wuqamekele umuzi emva kwawo.” UJoshuwa wasuka kanye nabo bonke abantu bempi ukuba akhuphukele e-Ayi; uJoshuwa wakhetha amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu amaqhawe anamandla, wawathuma ebusuku. Wawayala ngokuthi: “Bhekani, niyakuwuqamekela umuzi, emva komuzi, ningayi kude kakhulu nomuzi, nihlale nilungele nonke. Mina nabantu bonke abanami siyakusondela emzini; kuyakuthi lapho bephuma ukusihlasela njengakuqala, sibaleke phambi kwabo. Bayakuphuma, basilandele, size sibasuse emzini, ngokuba bayakusho ukuthi: ‘Babaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala,’ bese sibaleka phambi kwabo; niyakusuka ekuqamekeleni, niwudle umuzi, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uyakuwunikela esandleni senu. Kuyakuthi lapho seniwuthathile umuzi, nithungele umuzi ngomlilo, nenze njengezwi likaJehova; bhekani, senginiyalile.” UJoshuwa wayesebathuma, baya ukuyoqamekela, bahlala phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga kwase-Ayi; uJoshuwa walala lobo busuku phakathi kwabantu. UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabutha abantu, wakhuphuka, yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli, phambi kwabantu, waya e-Ayi. Bonke abantu bempi ayenabo bakhuphuka, basondela, baya phambi komuzi, bamisa ngasenyakatho kwase-Ayi; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwakhe ne-Ayi. Wathatha amadoda kungathi izinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, wawaqamekelisa phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga komuzi. Sebehleliwe abantu, lonke ibandla elalingasenyakatho komuzi nabaqamekeleyo babo ababengasentshonalanga komuzi, uJoshuwa waya ngalobo busuku phakathi kwesigodi. Kwathi inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokho, ashesha avuka ekuseni amadoda omuzi, aphuma ukuhlasela u-Israyeli, yona nabantu bayo, endaweni enqunyiweyo ngaphambi kwehlane; yayingazi nokho ukuthi babekhona abayiqamekeleyo ngasemva komuzi. UJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benza kungathi bahluliwe phambi kwabo, babaleka ngendlela eya ehlane. Bonke abantu basemzini babizwa ukuba babaxoshe; bamxosha uJoshuwa, basuswa emzini. Akusalanga muntu e-Ayi naseBethele ongaphumanga ukubaxosha abakwa-Israyeli, bawushiya umuzi ugengelezile, babaxosha abakwa-Israyeli. UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Yelulela umkhonto osesandleni sakho ngase-Ayi, ngokuba ngiyakulinikela esandleni sakho.” UJoshuwa welulela-ke umkhonto osesandleni sakhe ngasemzini. Abaqamekeleyo bashesha basuka endaweni yabo, bagijima lapho eselula isandla sakhe, bangena emzini, bawuthatha; bawuthungela ngomlilo masinyane. Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ebheka emva kwabo, abona, bheka, umusi womuzi wenyukela ngasezulwini; ayengenamandla ukubaleka ngalapha noma ngalapha, lapho abantu ababebalekele ngasehlane sebephendukela ababaxoshayo. Ngokuba nxa uJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi abaqamekeleyo bawuthathile umuzi nokuthi umusi womuzi wenyuka, base bebuyela emuva, bawabulala amadoda ase-Ayi. Labo abanye baphuma emzini ukuba babahlasele baze babe phakathi kuka-Israyeli, abanye ngalapha, abanye ngalapha, bababulala, kwaze kwangasala muntu owaphunyuka, wabaleka. Inkosi yase-Ayi bayibamba isaphila, bayiyisa kuJoshuwa. Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli eseqedile ukubulala bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi endle ehlane, lapho ebebaxoshele khona, bese bewe bonke ngosiko lwenkemba baze baqedwa, bonke abakwa-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba. Bonke abawa ngalolo suku, abesilisa nabesifazane, babeyizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, abantu bonke base-Ayi. UJoshuwa akabuyisanga isandla sakhe awelula ngaso umkhonto, engakaqothuli bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi. Izinkomo kuphela nempango yalowo muzi u-Israyeli waziphangela khona, njengezwi likaJehova amyala ngalo uJoshuwa. UJoshuwa wayeselishisa i-Ayi, walenza laba yiduma lenxiwa kuze kube phakade; liyincithakalo kuze kube namuhla. Inkosi yase-Ayi wayiphanyeka emthini kwaze kwahlwa; ukushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wabayala ukuba behlise isidumbu sayo emthini, basintshinga ngasesikhaleni sesango lomuzi, wamisa phezu kwaso inqwaba enkulu yamatshe ekhona nanamuhla.