1  UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Ungesabi, ungalahli ithemba. Thatha ibutho lonke uhambe uyehlasela i-Ayi, ngoba senginikele inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobho layo lelizwe layo ezandleni zakho. 2 Khonale uzakwenza owakwenza eJerikho lenkosini yakhona, kodwa lingazithathela impahla zonke eliyabe lizithumbile lezifuyo kube ngokwenu. Cathamani ngemva kwedolobho.”

3 Ngakho uJoshuwa lebutho lonke baphuma bayahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu ayezingcitshi ukwedlula amanye ekulweni, wasewathuma ebusuku. 4 Wawalaya wathi, “Lalelisisani, kumele licathame ngemva kwedolobho. Lingaze laya khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale liqaphele. 5 Mina lalabo engizabe ngilabo sizaqhubeka siqonde edolobheni, kuthi nxa amadoda ephuma ukusihlasela njengalokho akwenza kuqala, sizawabalekela. 6 Bazaxotshana lathi size sibahugele khatshana ledolobho, ngoba bazakuthi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala.’ Ngakho nxa sesibabalekela, 7 lina lizavuka lapho eliyabe licathame khona beselithumba idolobho. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalinikela ezandleni zenu. 8 Nxa selilithumbile idolobho, lithungeleni ngomlilo. Yenzani lokho okulaywe nguThixo. Wobani leqiniso lokuthi lilandela iziqondiso zami.”

9 UJoshuwa wasebalaya ukuthi bahambe, basebesiya endaweni okwakumele bacathame kuyo phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi kodwa uJoshuwa waqeda ubusuku lobo elabantu.

10 Ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa waqoqa amabutho akhe, kwathi yena labadala bako-Israyeli bahamba phambi kwabo besiya e-Ayi. 11 Iviyo lonke lalabo ayelabo lahamba laya edolobheni lafika lema phambi kwabo. Bamisa izihonqo enyakatho ye-Ayi, isigodi siphakathi kwabo ledolobho. 12 UJoshuwa wayethethe amadoda aphosa afike kunkulungwane ezinhlanu wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi entshonalanga yedolobho. 13 Benza ukuthi amabutho aye ezikhundleni zawo zonke ezaziphakathi kwezihonqo enyakatho yedolobho lendaweni yokucathamela eyayisentshonalanga yalo. Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa waya esigodini.

14 Inkosi yase-Ayi yathi ibona lokhu yona lawo wonke amadoda akulelodolobho aphanga aphuma kusesele ekuseni ukuze ayehlangana lo-Israyeli empini kweyinye indawo ekhangelane le-Arabha. Kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kwakulamabutho ayeyicathamele ngemva kwedolobho. 15 UJoshuwa labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathambela ukubuyiselwa emuva, babalekela enkangala. 16 Wonke amadoda e-Ayi atshelwa ukuthi abaxotshe, basebexotshana loJoshuwa badonselwa khatshana ledolobho. 17 Kakukho lendoda eyodwa eyasala e-Ayi kumbe eBhetheli engazanga ixotshane labako-Israyeli.

18  UThixo wasesithi kuJoshuwa, “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni ukhombe e-Ayi, ngenxa yokuthi idolobho leli ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wakhombela e-Ayi ngomkhonto wakhe. 19 Wathi esanda kwenza lokhu, amadoda ayecathamele ukuhlasela aphakama masinyane ezindaweni ayekuzo agijimela phambili. Angena edolobheni alithumba, aphanga alithungela ngomlilo.

20 Amadoda e-Ayi anyemukula abona intuthu eyayisuka edolobheni iqonga emayezini kodwa aswela ukuthi azabalekela ngaphi ngoba abako-Israyeli ababebalekele enkangala basebephendukele labo ababebaxotsha. 21 Kwathi uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli bonke bebona ukuthi labo ababecatheme basebethumbe idolobho lokuthi intuthu yayiqonga emayezini ivela edolobheni, batshibilika baqalisa ukuhlasela amadoda ase-Ayi. 22 Amadoda ayecatheme lawo aphuma edolobheni abahlasela, okwenza ukuthi babe phakathi laphakathi, inxa zombili zilabako-Israyeli. Abako-Israyeli babatshaya bababhuqa akwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyukayo. 23 Kodwa bathatha inkosi yase-Ayi iphila basebeyiletha kuJoshuwa.

24 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebeqedile ukubulala wonke amadoda ase-Ayi emagcekeni enkangala lapho ababewaxotshele khona, njalo wonke esegwazwe ngenkemba, bonke abako-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi babulala abantu bonke abakulelo dolobho. 25 Amadoda labesifazane abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili bafa ngalelolanga, bonke kungabantu be-Ayi, 26 ngoba uJoshuwa kazange ehlise isandla sakhe esiphethe umkhonto ngawo baze babhujiswa bonke abantu ababehlala e-Ayi. 27 Kodwa abako-Israyeli bathatha zonke izifuyo lempango yonke eyayithunjwe kulelodolobho njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo.

28 UJoshuwa watshisa i-Ayi wayenza yaba lunxiwa oluyinqwaba, indawo engelakuhlalwa muntu kuze kube lamhlanje. 29 Walengisa inkosi yase-Ayi esigodweni wayitshiya kwaze kwaba ntambama. Ekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bethule isidumbu sayo basiphosele esangweni ledolobho. Babuthelela inqumbi yamatshe phezu kwaso, njalo lokhu kunjalo kuze kube lamhlanje.

30 UJoshuwa wasesakhela uThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli i-alithari e-Ebhali. 31 Njengokulaya okwenziwa nguMosi inceku kaThixo kwabako-Israyeli, walakha njengokulaywa okulotshwe eNcwadini yoMthetho kaMosi i-alithari lamatshe angabazwanga, okungazanga kusetshenziswe nsimbi phezu kwawo. Kulo banikela kuThixo iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. 32 Lapho, phambi kwabako-Israyeli uJoshuwa waloba ematsheni umthetho kaMosi ayewubhalile. 33 Bonke abako-Israyeli, abezizweni labayinzalo yalelolizwe, labadala babo, iziphathamandla labahluleli babemi emaceleni womabili omtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo bekhangelane lalabo ababelithwele, abaphristi, ababengabaLevi. Ingxenye yabantu yema phambi kwentaba yeGerizimu kwathi eyinye ingxenye yema phambi kwentaba ye-Ebhali, njengokulaya kukaMosi inceku kaThixo owayelaye ukuthi kubusiswe abantu bako-Israyeli.

34 Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho, izibusiso leziqalekiso, njengokulotshwa okwenziwe eNcwadini yeMithetho. 35 Kakulalizwi elalaywa nguMosi elingazanga lifundwe nguJoshuwa phambi kombuthano wonke wako-Israyeli kugoqela abesifazane labantwana labezizweni ababehlala phakathi kwabo.