1 Ke iYeriko ibihleli ivaliwe ngenxa yoonyana bakaSirayeli; akwabakho uphumayo, akwabakho ungenayo.
2 Wathi uYehova kuYoshuwa, Khangela, ndiyinikele esandleni sakho iYeriko, nokumkani wayo, namagorha anobukroti,
3 Nowujikeleza umzi nonke, nina madoda okulwa, niwuzunguleze umzi isihlandlo sibe sinye; wenjenjalo imihla emithandathu.
4 Ke isixhenxe sababingeleli sophatha izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambi kwetyeya. Nowujikeleza umzi ngomhla wesixhenxe izihlandlo zibe sixhenxe, ababingeleli baquphe ukuvuthela ngezigodlo.
5 Kothi ke, ekoluleni ukuvuthela ngesigodlo sokuhlaba umkhosi, ekusiveni kwenu isandi sesigodlo, badume ngokuduma okukhulu bonke abantu, luwe udonga lomzi luthi bhuma, benyuke ke abantu, elowo athi ngqo malunga naye.
6 UYoshuwa, unyana kaNun, wababiza ababingeleli, wathi kubo, Thwalani ityeya yomnqophiso, ababingeleli abasixhenxe baphathe izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambi kwetyeya kaYehova.
7 Bathi ebantwini, Dlulani niwujikeleze umzi, abaxhobileyo bagqithele phambi kwetyeya kaYehova.
8 Kwathi, xenikweni uYoshuwa abetshilo ebantwini, ababingeleli abasixhenxe, abaphethe izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambi koYehova, bagqitha, baqupha ukuvuthela ngezigodlo, ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova ibalandela.
9 Abaxhobileyo bahamba phambi kwababingeleli abaquphayo ukuvuthela ngezigodlo; abasemva belandela ityeya, kuhanjwa kuqutshwa ukuvuthela ngezigodlo.
10 UYoshuwa wabawisela umthetho abantu, wathi, Ize ningadumi, ningalivakalisi ilizwi lenu, kungaphumi nto emlonyeni wenu, kude kube yimini endothi kuni, Dumani; nidume ke.
11 Ityeya ke kaYehova yawujikeleza umzi, yawuzunguleza isihlandlo sasinye; bangena eminqubeni, balala eminqubeni.
12 UYoshuwa wavuka kwakusasa ngengomso; bayithwala ababingeleli ityeya kaYehova.
13 Ababingeleli abasixhenxe, abaphethe izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambi kwetyeya kaYehova, bamana behamba, bevuthela ngezigodlo, bequpha; nabaxhobileyo behamba phambi kwabo; nabasemva belandela ityeya kaYehova, kuhanjwa kuvuthelwa ngezigodlo kuqutshwa.
14 Bawujikeleza muzi ngomhla wesibini isihlandlo sasinye, babuyela eminqubeni. Benjenjalo ke imihla yamithandathu.
15 Kwathi ngomhla wesixhenxe, bavuka kusasa ngesifingo, bawujikeleza umzi kwangolo hlobo izihlandlo zasixhenxe; kungaloo mini yodwa abawujikelezayo umzi izihlandlo zasixhenxi.
16 Kwathi ngesihlandlo sesixhenxe, ababingeleli ukuvuthela ngezigodlo baqupha. Wathi ke uYoshuwa ebantwini, Dumani, kuba uYehova uninikile lo mzi.
17 Lo mzi woba yinto esingelwe phantsi kuYehova, wona nento yonke ekuwo; kuphela nguRahabhi ihenyukazi yedwa owodla ubomi, yena nento yonke ekuye endlwini yakhe; ngokuba wabazimeza abathunywa esabathumayo.
18 Kodwa ke zigcineni entweni esingelwe phantsi, hleze nani nizisingele phantsi ngokuthabatha entweni entweni esingelwe phantsi, niwenze umzi wakwaSirayeli ube yinto esingelwe phantsi, niwuhlisele ishwangusha.
19 Ke yona yonke isilivere, negolide, nempahla yobhedu, neyesinyithi, iyingcwele kuYehova; yongena ebuncwaneni bukaYehova.
20 Baduma ke abantu ukuvuthela ngezigodlo bequpha; kwathi, bakusiva abantu isandi sesigodlo, baduma abantu ngoduduma okukhulu, lwawa udonga lwathi bhuma. Benyuka abantu kuwo umzi, elowo wathi ngqo, bawuthimba umzi.
21 Bazisingela phantsi ngehlangothi lwekrele zonke izinto ezikuloo mzi, bethabathela kwindoda besa kumfazi, bethabathela kwindoda besa kwixhego, besa nakwinkomo, nakwimpahla emfutshane, nakwiesile.
22 UYoshuwa wayeselethe kumadoda amabini abelihlolile ilizwe, Yiyani kwindlu yenkazana leya ilihenyukazi, niyikhuphe khona loo nkazana nento yonke enayo, njengoko nayifungelayo.
23 Abengenile ke amadodana aziintlola, amkhupha uRahabhi, noyise, nonina, nabanakwabo, nabo bonke abenabo; nemizalwane yakhe yonke bayikhupha, bayibeka ngaphandle kweminquba yakwaSirayeli.
24 Bawutshisa umzi ngomlilo, neento zonke eziluwo; kodwa isilivere, negolide, nempahla yobhedu, neyesinyithi, bayibeka ebuncwaneni bendlu kaYehova.
25 Ke uRahabhi, ihenyukazi, nendlu kayise, nabo bonke abenabo, uYoshuwa wamsindisa; wahlala phakathi kwamaSirayeli unanamhla; ngokuba wabazimezayo abathunywa, abebathumile uYoshuwa ukuba bayihlole iYeriko.
26 Wafunga uYoshuwa ngelo xesha, esithi, Uqalekisiwe phambi koYehova umntu oya kusuka awakhe lo mzi, iYeriko le; wowuseka ngowamazibulo akhe, azimise iingcango zawo ngowamathumbu akhe.
27 UYehova waba noYoshuwa; udumo lwakhe lwaba sezweni lonke.