Chapter 8
1 Wathi uYehova kuYoshuwa, Musa ukoyika, ungaqhiphuki umbilini. Thabatha bonke abantu bokulwa, usuke, unyuke, uye eAyi. Yabona, ndimnikele esandleni sakho ukumkani waseAyi, nabantu bakhe, nomzi wakhe, nelizwe lakhe;
2 wenze kwiAyi nokumkani wayo njengoko wenza ngako kwiYeriko nokumkani wayo; kodwa nozithimbela amaxhoba ayo, neenkomo zayo; wobeka kuloo mzi abalaleli emva kwawo.
3 Wesuka uYoshuwa nabantu bonke bokulwa, wenyuka, waya eAyi. UYoshuwa wanyula amadoda angamagorha anobukroti, angamashumi amathathu amawaka, wawasusa ngobusuku.
4 Wawawisela umthetho, esithi, Yabonani, ningabalaleli kuwo umzi, emva komzi; musani ukuba kude kakhulu kuwo umzi, lungani nonke niphela.
5 Mna ke, nabantu bonke abanam, siya kusondela kuwo umzi. Kothi, bakuphuma basihlangabeze, njengokuya kokuqala, sisuke sirhole phambi kwabo.
6 Bophuma ke basilandele, side sibarhole kuwo umzi; kuba baya kuthi, Bayasaba phambi kwethu, njengokuya kokuqala. Siya kurhola ke thina phambi kwabo;
7 nisuke ke nina ekulaleleni kwenu, niwuhluthe umzi. UYehova uThixo wenu uwunikele esandleni senu.
8 Kothi, xenikweni nithe nawuthabatha umzi, niwufake isikhuni, nenze ngokwelizwi likaYehova. Yabonani, ndiniwisele umthetho.
9 Wawasusa ke uYoshuwa; aya kulalela, ahlala phakathi kweBheteli neAyi, ngasentshonalanga eAyi; uYoshuwa walala phakathi kwabantu ngobo busuku.
10 Wavuka kusasa ngengomso uYoshuwa, wabahlela abantu, wenyuka, yena namadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli phambi kwabantu, waya eAyi.
11 Bonke abantu bokulwa ababenaye benyuka, basondela, beza phambi komzi, bamisa ngasentla kweAyi; kwabakho umfula phakathi kwabo neAyi.
12 Wathabatha amadoda amayela kumawaka amahlanu, wawabeka ekulaleleni phakathi kweBheteli neAyi, ngasentshonalanga komzi.
13 Abantu babeyimisile yonke impi ebingasentla komzi, nabalaleli bayo ngasentshonalanga komzi. UYoshuwa wacanda phakathi komfula ngobo busuku.
14 Kwathi, akubona ukumkani waseAyi, amadoda aloo mzi angxama, avuka kwakusasa, aphuma eya kuhlangabeza amaSirayeli ukuba kuliwe, yena nabantu bakhe bonke, endaweni emisiweyo phambi kweArabha. Ebengazi ke yena ukuba kulalelwe emva komzi.
15 UYoshuwa namaSirayeli onke bazenza aboyisiweyo phambi kwabo, barhola ngendlela yasentlango.
16 Bahlatyelwa umkhosi bonke abantu abakuloo mzi ukuba babasukele. Bamsukela ke uYoshuwa, baqhiwukana nomzi wabo.
17 Akwasala nanye indoda eAyi naseBheteli, ingaphumanga iwalandele amaSirayeli; bawushiya umzi uvulekile, bawasukela amaSirayeli.
18 Wathi uYehova kuYoshuwa, wolule umkhonto osesandleni sakho ngakwiAyi; kuba ndiya kuyinikela esandleni sakho. Wawolula ke uYoshuwa umkhonto osesandleni sakhe ngakuwo umzi.
19 Besuka abalaleli ngokukhawuleza endaweni yabo, bagidima; akusolula isandla sakhe, bangena kuloo mzi, bawuthimba, bangxama, bawufaka isikhuni.
20 Abheka emva kwawo amadoda aseAyi, abona, nango umsi womzi unyuka usiya ezulwini; akaba namandla okusabela ngapha nangapha; bathi abantu ababesabele entlango, babaguqukela ababasukelayo.
21 UYoshuwa namaSirayeli onke abona ukuba abalaleli bawuthimbile umzi, nokuba umsi womzi uyenyuka, babuya ke bawabulala amadoda aseAyi.
22 Baphuma abaya kuloo mzi, beza kubakhawulela; aba phakathi kwabakwaSirayeli, abanye abangapha, abanye bangapha; bawabulala ke kwada akwasala usabileyo, nosindileyo.
23 Bambamba ehleli ukumkani waseAyi, bamsondeza kuYoshuwa.
24 Kwathi, xa amaSirayeli abegqibile ukubabulala bonke abemi baseAyi ezweni, entlango apho abebasukele khona, naxa babewile bonke ngohlangothi lwekrele bada bagqitywa, amaSirayeli onke abuyela eAyi, ayibulala ngohlangothi lwekrele.
25 Kwathi, bonke abawayo ngaloo mini, bethabathela kwindoda besisa kumfazi, bangamawaka alishumi elinamabini, bonke abantu baseAyi.
26 Akasibuyisanga uYoshuwa isandla sakhe, awolule umkhonto ngaso, bada batshatyalaliswa bonke abemi baseAyi.
27 Kodwa iinkomo namaxhoba aloo mzi azithimbela amaSirayeli ngokwelizwi likaYehova, abemwisele umthetho ngalo uYoshuwa.
28 Wayitshisa ke uYoshuwa iAyi, wayenza umwewe ingunaphakade, inxowa unanamhla.
29 Wamxhoma emthini ukumkani waseAyi kwada kwalixesha langokuhlwa; lakutshona ilanga, wawisa umthetho uYoshuwa ukuba basithule isidumbu sakhe emthini; basiphosa esithubeni sesango lomzi, bamisa phezu kwaso imfumba enkulu yamatye; ikhona unanamhla.
30 Waza uYoshuwa wamakhela uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli isibingelelo entabeni ye-Ebhali, njengolo uMoses,
31 umkhonzi kaYehova, wabawiselayo oonyana bakaSirayeli umthetho, njengoko kubahliweyo encwadini yomyalelo kaMoses: isibingelelo samatye awonke esingasetyenzwanga ngantsimbi. Banyusa phezu kwaso amadini anyukayo kuYehova, babingelela imibingelelo yoxolo.
32 Wabhala khona ematyeni, wawuphinda ukuwubhala umyalelo kaMoses, awawubhalayo phambi koonyana bakaSirayeli.
33 Onke amaSirayeli, namadoda awo amakhulu, nababhali, nabagwebi bawo, ema ngapha nangapha kwetyeya, phambi kwababingeleli abangabaLevi, abathwele ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova, owasemzini enjengozalwayo; esinye isiqingatha sabo simalunga nentaba yeGerizim, esinye isiqingatha sabo simalunga nentaba ye-Ebhali; njengoko uMoses umkhomzi kaYehova wawisayo umthetho ngenxa engaphambili, ukuba basikelelwe abantu bakwaSirayeli.
34 Emveni koko wawalesa onke amazwi omyalelo, iintsikelelo neziqalekiso, ngako konke okubhaliweyo encwadini yomyalelo.
35 Akwabakho nalinye ilizwi kuwo onke amazwi abewise uMoses umthetho ngawo, angalilesanga uYoshuwa phambi kwebandla lonke lamaSirayeli, nabafazi, nabantwana, nowasemzini ohamba phakathi kwawo.