1 Wazihlanganisa uYoshuwa zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli kwaShekem, wawabiza amadoda amakhulu amaSirayeli, neentloko zawo, nabagwebi bawo, nababhali bawo; bazimisa phambi koThixo.
2 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo bonke abantu, Utsho uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi, Ooyihlo babehleli phesheya koMlambo kususela kwaphakade, ooTera, uyise ka-Abraham, uyise kaNahore; babekhonza thixo bambi.
3 Ndamthabatha uyihlo uAbraham phesheya koMlambo, ndamhambisa ezweni lonke lakwaKanan, ndayandisa imbewu yakhe, ndamnika uIsake.
4 UIsake ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu; uEsawu ndamnika iintaba zakwaSehire, ukuba azime; ke uYakobi, noonyana bakhe behla baya eYiputa.
5 Ndathuma uMoses noAron, ndayihlisela izibetho iYiputa, njengoko ndenzayo phakathi kwayo; emveni koko ndanikhupha.
6 Ndabakhupha ooyihlo eYiputa, nafika elwandle; amaYiputa abasukela ooyihlo ngeenqwelo zokulwa nangabamahashe, beza kuLwandle oluBomvu.
7 Bakhala kuYehova; wabeka isithokothoko phakathi kwenu namaYiputa, wawazisela ulwandle, wawagubungela; amehlo enu akubona oko ndakwenzayo eYiputa. Nahlala entlango imihla emininzi.
8 Ndaningenisa ezweni lama-Amori, abehleli phesheya kweYordan, alwa nani; ndawanikela esandleni senu, nalihlutha ilizwe lawo; ndawatshabalalisa phambi kwenu.
9 Wesuka uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, walwa namaSirayeli; wathuma, wabiza uBhileham unyana kaBhehore, ukuba aniqalekise.
10 Andavuma ukumphulaphula uBhileham; wanisikelela, akayeka, ndanihlangula esandleni sakhe.
11 Nayiwela iYordan, nafika eYeriko; balwa nani abemi baseYeriko, ama-Amori, namaPerizi, namaKanan, namaHeti, namaGirgashi, namaHivi, namaYebhusi, ndabanikela esandleni senu.
12 Ndathuma oonomeva phambi kwenu, babagxotha phambi kwenu ookumkani ababini bama-Amori, kungengakrele lakho, kungengasaphetha sakho.
13 Ndaninika ilizwe eningaxhamlekanga ngalo, nemizi eningayakhanga, nahlala ke kuyo; nezidiliya, nezinquma eningazityalanga niyazidla ke.
14 Moyikeni ke ngoko uYehova, nimkhonze ngokugqibeleleyo, nangenyaniso. Susani oothixo, ababekhonza bona ooyihlo phesheya koMlambo, naseYiputa, nimkhonze ke uYehova.
15 Ke ukuba kubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uYehova, zinyuleleni namhla oyena niya kumkhonza; nokuba ngoothixo ababekhonza bona ooyihlo, ababephesheya koMlambo, nokuba ngoothixo bama-Amori, enihleli ezweni lawo. Ke mna nendlu yam siya kukhonza uYehova.
16 Baphendula abantu, bathi, Makube le kuthi ukumshiya uYehova, sikhonze thixo bambi.
17 Kuba uYehova, uThixo wethu, nguye osinyusileyo thina noobawo bethu ezweni laseYiputa, endlwini yobukhoboka; owayenzela emehlweni ethu loo miqondiso mikhulu, wasigcina endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo, nasezizweni zonke esacanda phakathi kwazo.
18 Waza wazigxotha uYehova zonke izizwe, nama-Amori abehleli kwelo zwe phambi kwethu. Nathi siya kukhonza uYehova; kuba nguThixo wethu.
19 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo abantu, Aninakumkhonza uYehova; ngokuba nguThixo oyingcwele, nguThixo onekhwele; akayi kuzithwala izikreqo zenu, nezono zenu.
20 Xa nithe namshiya uYehova, nakhonza oothixo bolunye uhlanga, wojika anenzele ububi anigqibele emveni kokuba enenzele okuhle.
21 Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa, Hayi, siya kukhonza uYehova thina.
22 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo abantu, Ningamangqina ngakuni, ukuba nina nizinyulele uYehova ukuba nimkhonze. Bathi, Singamangqina.
23 Wathi, basuseni ngoko oothixo bolunye uhlanga abaphakathi kwenu, nimthobele ngeentliziyo zenu uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli.
24 Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa, Siya kukhonza uYehova uThixo wethu, siliphulaphule ilizwi lakhe.
25 UYoshuwa wenza ke umnqophiso nabantu ngaloo mhla; wabamisela imimiselo namasiko kwaShekem.
26 Wawabhala uYoshuwa la mazwi encwadini yomyalelo kaThixo, wathabatha ilitye elikhulu, walimisa khona phantsi komoki osendaweni engcwele kaYehova.
27 Wathi uYoshuwa kubo bonke abantu, Yabonani, eli litye liya kuba lingqina ngathi; ngokuba liwavile lona onke amazwi kaYehova, awathethileyo nathi; libe lingqina ngani, hleze nimkhanyele uThixo wenu.
28 Wabandulula ke uYoshuwa abantu; elowo waya elifeni lakhe.
29 Kwathi emveni koko, wafa uYoshuwa unyana kaNun, umkhonzi kaYehova, eminyaka ilikhulu elinashumi-nye ezelwe.
30 Bamngcwabela emdeni welifa lakhe, eTimnati-sera, kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, entla kwentaba yaseGahashe.
31 AmaSirayeli amkhonza uYehova yonke imihla kaYoshuwa, nemihla yonke yamadoda amakhulu awasalayo kuYoshuwa, abewazi wonke umsebenzi kaYehova abewenzele amaSirayeli.
32 Amathambo kaYosefu, ababenyuke nawo eYiputa oonyana bakaSirayeli, bawangcwabela kwaShekem, kwisiziba somhlaba awasithengayo uYakobi koonyana bakaHamore, usoShekem, ngekhulu lesilivere; saba lilifa loonyana bakaYosefu.
33 NoElazare unyana ka-Aron wafa; bamngcwabela endulini kaPinehasi, unyana wakhe, awayinikwayo kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim.