1 AbakoRubheni labakoGadi ababelemihlambi emikhulu yenkomo leyezimvu babona ukuthi amadlelo emangweni weJazeri leGiliyadi ayemahle ezifuyweni. 2 Ngakho baya kuMosi laku-Eliyazari umphristi lakubakhokheli babantu, bathi, 3 “Umhlaba we-Atharothi, leDibhoni, leJazeri, leNimra, leHeshibhoni, le-Eliyale, leSebhami, leNebho kanye leBheyoni, 4  uThixo awunqoba phambi kwabako-Israyeli, ngumhlaba olungele izifuyo, njalo thina nceku zenu silezifuyo.” 5 Basebesithi, “Nxa sifumene umusa emehlweni enu, lelilizwe aliphiwe izinceku zenu libe yisabelo sethu. Lingenzi ukuba sichaphe uJodani.”

6 UMosi wabuza abakoGadi labakoRubheni wathi, “Kambe lingahlala lapha amanye amadoda akini esiya empini na? 7 Kungani lithelela abako-Israyeli ukwesaba ukuchaphela elizweni abaliphiwa nguThixo na? 8 Yikho lokhu okwenziwa ngoyihlo ekubathumeni kwami besuka eKhadeshi Bhaneya ukuyahlola ilizwe. 9 Bathi sebehambe baze bayafika eSigodini sase-Eshikholi balibona ilizwe, bathelela abako-Israyeli ukwesaba ukungena elizweni abaliphiwa nguThixo. 10 Ulaka lukaThixo lwaqubuka ngalolosuku waze wenza lesisifungo. 11 ‘Ngenxa yokuthi abangilandelanga ngezinhliziyo zabo ezipheleleyo, kakho loyedwa emadodeni wonke aleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu okuzalwa kwabavela eGibhithe ozabona ilizwe engalithembisa u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka loJakhobe ngesifungo, 12 kakho loyedwa ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune umKhenizi kanye loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, ngoba laba balandela uThixo ngezinhliziyo ezipheleleyo.’ 13 Ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha wabazondela abako-Israyeli njalo wabenza bantula enkangala okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, kwaze kwaphela bonke abentanga yalabo ababonile phambi kukaThixo.

14 Khathesi nanku-ke lina, nzalo yezoni, selimi endaweni yaboyihlo libangela ukuthi uThixo athukuthelele abako-Israyeli ngamandla. 15 Nxa lingala ukumlandela, uThixo uzaphinde atshiye bonke lababantu bakhe enkangala, njalo kuzabe kuyini elibangele incithakalo yabo.”

16 Ngakho beza kuye bathi, “Sifuna ukwakha izibaya zezifuyo zethu njalo sakhele omkethu labantwabethu amadolobho. 17 Kodwa thina sesilungele ukuzihlomisa ukuze sikhokhele abako-Israyeli size siyebafikisa endaweni yabo. Kunjalo-nje omkethu labantwabethu bazasala emadolobheni avikelekileyo, ukuze bangahlaselwa ngabanikazi balelolizwe. 18 Kasiyikubuyela kweyethu imizi wonke owako-Israyeli aze azuze isabelo sakhe. 19 Thina kasiyikuzuza isabelo kanye labo ngale kweJodani, ngoba esethu isabelo sisithole ngapha ngempumalanga kweJodani.”

20 Ngakho uMosi wathi kubo, “Nxa lizakwenza lokhu, lizihlomisele ukuhlasela phambi kukaThixo, 21 njalo nxa lonke lizahamba lihlomile ngale kweJodani phambi kukaThixo aze adudule izitha phambi kwakhe, 22 kuthi nxa ilizwe selinqotshiwe phambi kukaThixo selingaphenduka njalo liyabe selikhululekile emlandwini wenu kuThixo laku-Israyeli. Ngalokho-ke lelilizwe lizakuba yisabelo senu phambi kukaThixo.

23 Kodwa lingehluleka ukwenza lokhu, lizabe lonile phambi kukaThixo; njalo yazini ukuthi isono senu sizalifumana. 24 Yakhelani abesifazane benu labantwabenu amadolobho, njalo lakhele izifuyo zenu izibaya, kodwa yenzani lokho elikuthembisileyo.”

25 AbakoGadi labakoRubheni bathi kuMosi, “Thina izinceku zakho sizakwenza njengokulaya kwenkosi yethu. 26 Abantwabethu labomkethu, imihlambi yezimvu zethu leyenkomo zethu kuzasala lapha emadolobheni aseGiliyadi. 27 Kodwa thina zinceku zakho, yonke indoda ehlomele ukuhlasela, izachapha iyekulwa phambi kukaThixo, njengokutsho kwenkosi yethu.”

28 UMosi wasekhupha ilizwi lesiqondiso ngabo ku-Eliyazari umphristi lakuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye lakulabo abazinhloko zezimuli zezizwana zako-Israyeli. 29 Wathi kubo, “Nxa abakoGadi labakoRubheni, wonke amadoda ayabe ehlomele ukuhlasela, angachaphela ngale kweJodani kunye lani phambi kukaThixo, kube sekusithi nxa ilizwe selinqotshiwe phambi kwenu banikeni ilizwe laseGiliyadi libe yisabelo sabo. 30 Kodwa nxa bengachaphanga lani behlomile, kumele bemukele isabelo sabo kunye lani eKhenani.”

31 AbakoGadi labakoRubheni baphendula bathi, “Izinceku zakho zizakwenza okutshiwo nguThixo. 32 Sizachaphela ngale phambi kukaThixo singene eKhenani sihlomile, kodwa ilifa eliyisabelo sethu lizakuba nganeno kweJodani.”

33 Ngakho uMosi wasenika abakoGadi, labakoRubheni kanye lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase indodana kaJosefa umbuso kaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori kanye lombuso ka-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani, ilizwe lonke kanye lamadolobho alo kanye lamazwe ayebagqagqele.

34 AbakoGadi bakha iDibhoni, i-Atharothi, i-Aroweri, 35 i-Athirothi-Shofani, iJazeri, iJogibheha, 36 iBhethi-Nimra kanye leBhethi-Harani aba ngamadolobho ahonqolozelwe ngemithangala, njalo bakha lezibaya zemihlambi yezifuyo zabo. 37 Kanti-ke abakoRubheni bakha kakutsha iHeshibhoni, i-Eliyale kanye leKhiriyathayimi, 38 kanye lokwakha iNebho kanye leBhali-Meyoni (la amabizo aguqulwa) leSibhima. Betha amadolobho abawakha kutsha amabizo.

39 Izizukulwane zikaMakhiri indodana kaManase zaya eGiliyadi, zalithumba njalo zaxotsha ama-Amori ayekulelolizwe. 40 Ngakho uMosi wapha elaseGiliyadi kumaMakhiri, izizukulwane zikaManase, basebehlala khona. 41 UJayiri, umzukulu kaManase, wathumba imizi yabo wayibiza ngokuthi yiHarothi Jayiri. 42 Kanti uNobha wathumba iKhenathi kanye lemizi eyigqagqeleyo njalo wayetha ibizo lakhe wathi yiNobha.