1 La ngamazwi akhulunywa nguMosi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli enkangala, empumalanga yeJodani, lokhu kuyikuthi, e-Arabha, maqondana leSufi, phakathi kwePharani leThofeli, eLabhani, eHazerothi kanye laseDizahabi. 2 (Loluhambo luthatha insuku ezilitshumi lanye ukusuka eHorebhi kusiya eKhadeshi Bhaneya ngomgwaqo odlula eNtabeni yaseSeyiri.)

3 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amane, ngosuku lwakuqala lwenyanga yetshumi lanye, uMosi wamemezela kwabako-Israyeli konke lokho uThixo ayemlaye ngakho ngabo. 4 Lokhu kwakungemva kokuba esenqobe uSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, njalo wayesenqobe e-Edreyi u-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani, owayebusa e-Ashitharothi.

5 Empumalanga kweJodani elizweni laseMowabi, uMosi waqalisa ukufundisa ngalo umthetho, esithi:

6 “UThixo uNkulunkulu wethu wakhuluma lathi siseHorebhi wathi, ‘Selihlale isikhathi eseneleyo kule intaba. 7 Dilizani izihonqo zenu ledlulele elizweni lamaqaqa lama-Amori; yanini kubo bonke abangomakhelwane e-Arabha, ezintabeni, emawatheni angentshonalanga, eNegebi lilandelele ukhumbi, liye ezweni lamaKhenani kanye laseLebhanoni, lidabule lize liyefika emfuleni omkhulu, iYufrathe. 8 Khangelani, sengiliphile lelilizwe. Ngenani lilithumbe lelilizwe uThixo afunga wathi uzalipha okhokho benu, u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka, uJakhobe kanye lezizukulwane zabo emva kwabo.’ ”

9 “Ngalesosikhathi ngathi kini, ‘Lina lingumthwalo omkhulu kakhulu onzima ukuthi ngiwuthwale ngingedwa. 10 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu usengezelele amanani enu okokuthi lamuhla selilingana lezinkanyezi zemkhathini. 11 Sengathi uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu, angalibusisa njalo alandise ngokuphindwe kankulungwane njengokuthembisa kwakhe! 12 Kodwa ngingazithwala njani inhlupho zenu lemithwalo yenu kanye lezingxabano zenu ngingedwa na? 13 Khethani amadoda akhaliphileyo, azwisisayo lahloniphekayo phakathi kwezizwana zakini zonke, mina ngizawabeka alikhokhele.’

14 Langiphendula lathi, ‘Lokho ofisa ukukwenza kulungile.’

15 Ngakho ngathatha abakhokheli bezizwana zenu, amadoda akhaliphileyo njalo ahloniphekayo, ngabanika amandla phezu kwenu ukuze babe ngabalawuli bezinkulungwane, bamakhulu, bamatshumi amahlanu, betshumi kanye lokuba yizikhulu zezizwana zenu. 16 Njalo ngapha isiqondiso kubahluleli ngalesosikhathi ngathi: ‘Hluzani ingxabano phakathi kwabafowenu njalo lahlulele ngokufaneleyo, kungakhathalekile ukuthi yingxabano phakathi kwabako-Israyeli bodwa loba kungowako-Israyeli oxabana lowezizweni. 17 Lingathathi hlangothi ekwahluleleni; hluzani amacala abancinyane labakhulu ngokufananayo. Lingesabi loba ngubani, ngoba ukwahlulela ngokukaNkulunkulu. Kuthi icala elinzima lililethe kimi, ngizalihluza ngilahlulele.’ 18 Njalo ngalesosikhathi ngalitshela konke okwakumele likwenze.”

19 “Kwathi-ke, njengoba uThixo wethu wayesilayile, sasuka eHorebhi saqonda ezweni lama-Amori elilamaqaqa sadabula inkangala enkulu eyesabekayo eseliyibonile, saze sayafika eKhadeshi Bhaneya. 20 Ngakho ngathi kini, ‘Selifikile elizweni lama-Amori elamaqaqa, ilizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asinika lona. 21 Khangelani, uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uselinike lelilizwe. Hambani lilithumbe njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu alitshela. Lingesabi; lingadangali.’

22 Kusenjalo lina lonke leza kimi lathi, ‘Asithumeni amadoda ahambe phambili ayehlola lelolizwe abuye azositshengisa indlela esizangena ngayo kanye leyokuthumba amadolobho esizafikela kuwo.’

23 Lokho kwakhanya kungumbono omuhle kimi; lakanye ngakhetha abalitshumi lababili phakathi kwenu, indoda eyodwa esizwaneni ngasinye. 24 Basuka baya ezweni lamaqaqa njalo bafika bahlola isihotsha sase-Eshikholi. 25 Bathatha ezinye izithelo zelizwe babuya lazo kithi, njalo bethula umbiko othi, ‘Yilizwe elihle uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asipha lona.’ ”

26 “Kodwa lina lalingazimiselanga ukuhamba; lahlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngokungalaleli umlayo wakhe. 27 Lina lakhonona lisemathenteni enu lathi, ‘UThixo uyasizonda; kutsho ukuthi wasikhipha eGibhithe ukuze asinikele ezandleni zama-Amori ukuthi asibhubhise. 28 Singaya ngaphi na? Abafowethu sebesithelele ubuthakathaka. Bathi bona, “Abantu bakhona balamandla njalo bade kulathi; amadolobho akhona makhulu, alemiduli etshaya emkhathini. Size sabona lama-Anakhi khonale.” ’

29 Mina ngasengisithi kini, ‘Lingethuki; lingabesabi. 30 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ohamba phambi kwenu uzalilwela, njengalokho alenzela khona eGibhithe lizibonela ngamehlo enu, 31 njalo lasenkangala. Khonale lazibonela ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walithwala, njengobaba ethwala indodana yakhe, uhambo lwenu lonke laze lafika lapha.’

32 Lanxa kunjalo, kalizange limethembe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, 33 yena owahamba phambi kwenu kuloluhambo, elikhokhela ngomlilo ebusuku kanti kusiba leyezi emini, elidingela izindawo zokumisa izihonqo zenu lokulitshengisa lapho okumele liye khona.

34 Kwathi uThixo esezwile elalikutsho, wathukuthela, wafunga wathi: 35 ‘Kakho loyedwa kulesisizukulwane esingalunganga ozalibona lelolizwe engafungela ukulipha okhokho benu, 36 ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune. Yena uzalibona, njalo ngizamupha yena lesizukulwane sakhe lelolizwe azafikela kilo, ngoba walalela uThixo ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke.’

37 Ngenxa yenu uThixo wangithukuthelela lami njalo wathi, ‘Wena lawe awuyikungena khona. 38 Kodwa umsekeli wakho, uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, uzangena kulelolizwe. Umkhuthaze yena, ngoba uzakhokhela abako-Israyeli kulo ukuba libe yilifa labo. 39 Kanti njalo lalabo abancane elalisithi bazathunjwa, abantwabenu abangakehlukanisi phakathi kokubi lokuhle, bazangena kulelolizwe. Ngizabapha lona njalo bazalithatha libe ngelabo. 40 Kodwa lina, phendukani njalo lisuke liqonde enkangala lilandele indlela eya oLwandle oluBomvu.’

41 Lina laphendula lathi, ‘Sonile kuThixo. Sizahamba siyekulwa, njengokulaywa kwethu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.’ Ngalokho lonke lahloma ngezikhali linakana ukuthi kulula ukungena elizweni lamaqaqa.

42 Kodwa uThixo wathi kimi, ‘Wothi kubo, “Lingayi ukuyakulwa, ngoba kangiyikuba lani. Lizakwehlulwa yizitha zenu.” ’

43 Ngakho ngalitshela, kodwa kalizange lilalele. Lahlamukela umlayo kaThixo kwathi ngobuqholo benu layangena elizweni lamaqaqa. 44 Kwathi ama-Amori ayehlala kulawomaqaqa alihlangabeza alihlasela; alixotsha njengomtshitshi wenyosi, alibhuqa kusukela eSeyiri indlela yonke kusiya eHoma. 45 Laphenduka lafika lakhala phambi kukaThixo kodwa kazange alalele ukukhala kwenu walifulathela. 46 Ngakho lahlala eKhadeshi okwensuku ezinengi, okwesikhathi sonke elasichitha likhonale.”