1 Ngalobobusuku abantu bonke emphakathini baphakamisa amazwi abo bakhala kakhulu. 2 Bonke abako-Israyeli bakhonona besola uMosi lo-Aroni, lonke ibandla lathi kubo, “Ngabe sahle sazifela eGibhithe, kumbe khonapha enkangala! 3 Kungani uThixo esilethe kulelilizwe ukuthi sife sibulawa ngenkemba na? Amakhosikazi ethu kanye labantwabethu bazakuba yimpango. Kambe kakungcono yini ukuthi sibuyele eGibhithe na?” 4 Bakhulumisana besithi, “Asikhetheni omunye umkhokheli asibuyisele eGibhithe.”

5 Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni bathi mbo ngobuso phansi phambi kwabantu bako-Israyeli bonke ababebuthene lapho. 6 Kwathi uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune, ababengabanye balabo ababeyehlola ilizwe, badabula izigqoko zabo 7 bathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ababebuthene, “Ilizwe esadabula kulo salihlola lihle kakhulu. 8 Nxa uThixo ethokoza ngathi, uzasikhokhelela kulo, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, njalo uzakusinika lona. 9 Kuphela nje lingamhlamukeli uThixo. Futhi lingabesabi abantu bakulelolizwe, ngoba sizabadla sibaqede. Kabaselaso isivikelo, kodwa uThixo ulathi. Lingabesabi.”

10 Kodwa ibandla wonke wathi kabakhandwe ngamatshe. Inkazimulo kaThixo yasibonakala kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ethenteni lokuhlangana. 11 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Koze kube nini abantu laba bengeyisa na? Kuzaze kube nini bengangikholwa, loba sengenze izinto ezimangalisayo phakathi kwabo na? 12 Ngizabatshaya ngomkhuhlane ngibabhubhise, kodwa wena ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo esilamandla kulabo.”

13 UMosi wasesithi kuThixo, “AmaGibhithe azakuzwa lokhu! Abantu laba bakhutshwa nguwe phakathi kwabo ngamandla akho. 14 Ngakho bazatshela abakhileyo kulelilizwe ngalesisehlakalo. Bavele sebezwile ukuthi wena, Oh Thixo, ulabo lababantu njalo lokuthi wena, Thixo, ubonakale uqondene labo ubuso ngobuso, lokuthi iyezi lakho lihlala liphezu kwabo, njalo lokuthi uhamba phambi kwabo ngensika yeyezi lakho emini kuthi ebusuku ngensika yomlilo. 15 Pho ungababhubhisa abantu bonke laba ngasikhathi sinye, izizwe esezizwile ngalezizindaba ngawe zizakuthi, 16 ‘UThixo wehlulekile ukungenisa abantu laba elizweni abathembisa lona ngesifungo; ngakho usebabhubhisele enkangala.’

17 Amandla kaThixo kabonakaliswe khathesi, njengokutsho kwakho ukuthi: 18 ‘UThixo uyaphuza ukuthukuthela, ugcwele ngothando njalo uyathethelela isono lokuhlamuka. Kodwa kayikubayekela abalecala bengajeziswanga; ujezisa abantwana ngenxa yezono zaboyise kuze kube kusizukulwane sesithathu lesesine.’ 19 Thethelela isono salababantu, ngenxa yothando lwakho olukhulu, ubaxolele njengokubaxolela kwakho kusukela ngesikhathi abasuka ngaso eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi.”

20 UThixo waphendula wathi, “Sengibathethelele njengesicelo sakho. 21 Impela njengoba ngiphila, lanjengoba inkazimulo kaThixo igcwalise umhlaba wonke, 22 akulamuntu loyedwa owabona inkazimulo yami kanye lezibonakaliso zezimanga engazenza eGibhithe lasenkangala kodwa kaze angilalela njalo wangilinga okungaba ngamahlandla alitshumi, 23 akukho loyedwa wabo ozalibona ilizwe engalithembisa okhokho babo ngesifungo. Futhi kakho loyedwa ongidelelayo ozalibona. 24 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi inceku yami uKhalebi ulomoya owehlukileyo njalo ungilandela ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, ngizamngenisa elizweni afika kulo, lizakuba yilifa lezizukulwane zakhe. 25 Njengoba ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ehlala ezigodini, lina phendukani kusasa liqonde enkangala ngendlela yasoLwandle oLubomvu.”

26 UThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni: 27 “Koze kube nini lababantu abangalunganga bekhonona bengisola na? Sengizwile ukusola lokukhonona kwabako-Israyeli. 28 Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba ngiphila impela, kutsho uThixo, ngizakwenza kini zona lezozinto engilizwe lizikhuluma. 29 Izidumbu zenu zizagcwala enkangala yonale, lina lonke elabalwayo ngesikhathi sokubalwa kwabantu elileminyaka yokuzalwa engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu labo bonke abakade bekhonona bengisola. 30 Kakho loyedwa wenu ozangena elizweni engafunga ngokuphakamisa isandla ukuthi libe likhaya lenu, ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni. 31 Mayelana labantwana benu labo elathi bazakuba yimpango, ngizabangenisa elizweni lelo elilalileyo ukuze bathokoze kulo. 32 Kodwa lina, izidumbu zenu zizawohlokela kule inkangala. 33 Abantwabenu bazakuba ngabelusi lapha okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, behlupheka ngenxa yokungathembeki kwenu, kuze kungcwatshwe isidumbu sokucina enkangala. 34 Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, umnyaka munye umele usuku lunye elahlola ngalo ilizwe, lizahlupheka ngenxa yezono zenu lize lazi ukuthi kuyinto enjani nxa mina ngimelana lani.’ 35 Mina Thixo, sengikhulumile, njalo ngempela ngizazenza lezizinto ebantwini laba bonke, abamanyeneyo bemelana lami. Bazabhubha kuyonale inkangala; bazafela khonapha.”

36 Ngakho amadoda ayethunywe nguMosi ukuthi ayehlola ilizwe, lawo athi ekuphendukeni kwawo amemethekisa umbiko omubi owabangela ukuthi abantu bakhonone besola uMosi, 37 lawomadoda amemethekisa umbiko ongalunganga mayelana lelizwe atshaywa ngomkhuhlane afa phambi kukaThixo. 38 Emadodeni ayeyehlola ilizwe, kwasila kuphela uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune.

39 Kwathi lapho uMosi esebikele bonke abako-Israyeli, bakhala kabuhlungu. 40 Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni kakhulu baqonda elizweni lamaqaqa. Bathi, “Sonile, sizakuya kuleyondawo esayithenjiswa nguThixo.”

41 Kodwa uMosi wathi kubo, “Kungani lingalaleli umlayo kaThixo na? Lokhu elikwenzayo akusoze kuphumelele! 42 Lingakhuphuki, ngoba uThixo kalisekeli. Lizakwehlulwa yizitha zenu, 43 ngoba lizaqondana lama-Amaleki kanye lamaKhenani khonale. Ngenxa yokuthi limhlamukele uThixo, yena kayikuba lani ngakho lizabhujiswa ngenkemba.”

44 Loba kunjalo, baqhubeka beqonde elizweni lamaqaqa benganakile, loba uMosi kumbe umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo kungasukanga ezihonqweni. 45 Ngakho ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ayehlala kulelolizwe lamaqaqa ehla abahlasela, ababhuqa ebaxotsha baze bayafika eHoma.