Joshua 22
1 Then Joshua summoned the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
UJoshuwa wamema abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sikaManase
2 He told them, “You have done everything that Moses, the servant of the Lord, told you to do, and you have followed all the commands I gave you.
wathi kubo, “Selenze konke uMosi inceku kaThixo eyakulayayo, njalo lingilalele kukho konke engililaye ngakho.
3 You have never abandoned your brothers all this time, right up to the present day. You have carefully followed what the Lord your God ordered you to do.
Okwesikhathi eside khathesi, kuze kube lamuhla, kalizange lihlamukele abafowenu kodwa lenze umsebenzi lowo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinike wona.
4 Now that the Lord your God has given peace to your brothers, as he promised, go back home to your land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
Njengoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wanika abafowenu ukuphumula njengokuthembisa kwakhe, buyelani emakhaya enu elizweni uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika lona ngaphetsheya kweJodani.
5 But make sure you keep the commandments and the law as Moses instructed you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, keep his commandments, stay close to him, and serve him with your whole being.”
Kodwa linanzelele kakhulu ukuthi lilondoloza umlayo lomthetho uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika wona: Ukuthanda uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, ukuhamba ezindleleni zakhe zonke, ukulalela imilayo yakhe, ukubambelela kuye lokumsebenzela ngenhliziyo yenu yonke lomphefumulo wenu wonke.”
6 Joshua blessed them, sent them on their way, and they went home.
UJoshuwa wasebabusisa wathi kabahambe; yikho basebesiya emizini yabo.
7 Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh the land of Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua had given land west of the Jordan. Joshua blessed them and sent them home.
Ingxenye yesizwana sakoManase uMosi wayeyinike ilizwe eBhashani, kwathi eyinye ingxenye yesizwana uJoshuwa wayeyinike indawo lapho okwakwakhele abafowabo eJodani. Kwathi uJoshuwa esethe kabahambe emakhaya, wababusisa
8 He told them, “Take all the wealth you have gained back home: the great herds of livestock, the things made of gold, silver, copper, and iron, the huge quantity of clothes. Share all this plunder with your brothers.”
wathi, “Buyelani emakhaya enu lenotho yenu enengi, lilemihlambi emikhulu yezifuyo, lilesiliva, igolide ithusi lensimbi, lamalembu amanengi, beselisabelana labafowenu lokho elakuthumba ezitheni zenu.”
9 So the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and went home to their land in Gilead that they had received at the Lord's command through Moses.
Ngakho abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase batshiya abako-Israyeli eShilo eseKhenani babuyela eGiliyadi, ilizwe labo, ababelizuze kulandela umlayo kaThixo awethula ngoMosi.
10 When they approached the Jordan region, still in the land of Canaan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a large and impressive altar beside the Jordan River.
Bathi sebefike eGelithothi eduzane leJodani elizweni leKhenani, abakoRubheni, abakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase bakha i-alithari elikhulu eduzane leJodani.
11 The Israelites were told, “Look, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the Jordan region of the land of Canaan, on the side belonging to the Israelities.”
Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwe ukuthi sebakhe i-alithari emngceleni weKhenani eGelithothi duzane leJodani eceleni lako-Israyeli,
12 The Israelites gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.
umphakathi wonke wako-Israyeli wabuthana eShilo ukulungiselela ukulwa labo empini.
13 Before they did so, they sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead.
Ngakho abako-Israyeli bathuma uFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi elizweni leGiliyadi kuRubheni, uGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase.
14 Ten leaders went with him, one from each of the ten tribes of Israel, and each the head of his family.
Waphelekezelwa zinduna ezilitshumi, inye ngayinye ivela phakathi kwezizwe zonke zako-Israyeli njalo iyinhloko yesigaba semuli yensendo zako-Israyeli.
15 After they arrived they told the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
Ekuyeni kwabo eGiliyadi, kuRubheni loGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase bathi kubo:
16 “This is what all of the Lord's people say, ‘What is this disloyal act you have committed against the God of Israel by building an altar for yourselves? How could you turn away from him now in such rebellion?
“Umphakathi wonke kaThixo uthi: ‘Kungani lisuke langathembeki kuNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli ngale indlela? Kungani lilahle uNkulunkulu lizakhela i-alithari njengokumhlamukela khathesi.
17 Wasn't our sin at Peor enough? Even now we're still not clean from the plague that attacked the Lord's people.
Kambe ukona kukaPheyori kakwanelanga kithi na? Kuze kube lamhla kasikazihlambululi esonweni leso, lanxa umkhuhlane wake wahlasela isizwe sikaThixo!
18 So why are you turning away from the Lord now? If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow!
Selibalekela uThixo na? Nxa lingahlamukela uThixo lamhla, kusasa uzazondela isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli:
19 But if you think your land is tainted then come over to the land of the Lord where the Tabernacle of the Lord is located and share some of our land with us. Just don't rebel against the Lord, or against us, by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.
Nxa umhlaba elilawo ungcolisiwe wozani emhlabeni kaThixo lapho ithabanikeli likaThixo elimi khona beselisabelana umhlaba lathi. Kodwa lingahlamukeli uThixo kumbe thina ngokuzakhela i-alithari lenu, ngaphandle kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
20 When Achan, son of Zerah, acted disloyally in taking consecrated things, didn't the whole of Israel suffer punishment? He wasn't the only one who died because of his sin!”
Lapho u-Akhani indodana kaZera aze angathembeki ezintweni ezingcwelisiweyo, isijeziso kasehlelanga isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli yini? Kayisuye yedwa owafela isono sakhe.’”
21 Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the Israelite leaders,
Ngakho uRubheni, uGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase baphendula abakhokheli bezinsendo zako-Israyeli bathi:
22 “The Lord is God of gods, the Lord is God of gods, and he knows! May Israel also know! If we're in rebellion against God or being disloyal to him then kill us right now!
“USomandla, uNkulunkulu uThixo! USomandla uNkulunkulu uThixo! Uyazi! Njalo u-Israyeli kabe lolwazi! Nxa lokhu bekuyikuhlamukela kumbe ukuqholozela uThixo, lingasisindisi lamhlanje.
23 If our action of building an altar was to turn away from the Lord, or to use the altar to make burnt offerings or grain offerings or friendship offerings, then may the Lord punish us.
Nxa sazakhela i-alithari lethu ukwenzela ukubalekela uThixo lokunikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele, kumbe ukunikela ngeminikelo yokuthula kulo, uThixo ngokwakhe kasijezise.
24 We did this because we were worried that in the future your descendants might say to ours, ‘What have you got to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?
Hatshi! Sakwenza sisesaba ukuthi kwelinye ilanga izizukulwane zenu zingathi kwezethu, ‘Lilani loThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli?
25 The Lord put a border—the Jordan River—between us and you, descendants of Reuben and Gad. You don't belong to the Lord.’ So your descendants might stop our descendants from worshiping the Lord.
UThixo sewenza iJodani ibe ngumngcele phakathi kwethu lani lina maRubheni lamaGadi! Kalilasabelo kuThixo.’ Ngakho izizukulwane zenu zingenza ukuthi ezethu ziyekele ukwesaba uThixo.
26 So we said to ourselves, ‘Let's build an altar, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices,
Yikho sathi, ‘Kasilungiseni sakhe i-alithari, kodwa hatshi eleminikelo yokutshiswa kumbe imihlatshelo.’
27 but as a witness between us and you, and for the generations that come after us, that we will come to worship the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and friendship offerings.’ Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours in the future, ‘You don't belong to the Lord.’
Ngeyinye indlela, kuzakuba yibufakazi phakathi kwethu lani lezizukulwane ezizalandela, ukuthi sizekhonza uThixo endlini yakhe engcwele ngeminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yethu kanye leyokuthula. Ngakho kwelakusasa izizukulwane zenu kazisoze zithi kwezethu, ‘Kalilasabelo kuThixo.’
28 If they were to do so in the future, our descendants could reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord's altar which our forefathers made, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
Njalo sathi, ‘Bangavele batsho lokhu kithi kumbe kuzizukulwane zethu, sizaphendula sithi: Khangelani emfanekisweni we-alithari likaThixo, elakhiwa ngobaba, hatshi eleminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, kodwa njengobufakazi phakathi kwethu lani.’
29 We would never think to rebel against the Lord or to turn away from him now by building an altar to make burnt offerings or grain offerings or sacrifices. The only altar of the Lord our God is the one stands in front of his Tabernacle.”
Kukhatshana kithi ukuthi sihlamukele uThixo simfulathele lamhla ngokwakha i-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yamabele lemihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu elimi phambi kwethabanikeli lakhe.”
30 When Phinehas and the Israelite leaders heard this from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh they were delighted.
Kwathi uFinehasi umphristi labakhokheli besizwe, abakhokheli bezinsendo zako-Israyeli, sebezwe okwakutshiwo nguRubheni, uGadi loManase bathokoza.
31 Phinehas replied to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us because you have not acted disloyally in doing this. Now you have saved the Israelites from being punished by the Lord.”
UFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi, wathi kuRubheni, uGadi loManase, “Lamhla siyazi ukuthi uThixo ulathi, ngenxa yokuthi kalizange liyekele ukwethembeka phambi kukaThixo kuloludaba. Khathesi selihlenge abako-Israyeli esandleni sikaThixo.”
32 Then Phinehas and the Israelite leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to explain the situation to the Israelites.
UFinehasi indodana ka-Eliyazari, umphristi, labakhokheli babuyela eKhenani bevela emhlanganweni wabo labakoRubheni labakoGadi eGiliyadi basebebika kwabako-Israyeli.
33 The Israelites were pleased with the report and God blessed them. They didn't talk about going to war any more to destroy the land where the tribes of Reuben and Gad were living.
Bathokoza ukuzwa umbiko basebedumisa uNkulunkulu. Kabasakhulumanga njalo ngokuya empini yokubalwisa ukwenzela ukutshabalalisa ilizwe lapho abakoRubheni labakoGadi ababehlala khona.
34 The tribes of Reuben and Gad called the altar, “Witness,” because they said, “It is a witness between us that the Lord is also our God.”
Njalo abakoRubheni labakoGadi banika i-alithari lelibizo: UBufakazi Phakathi Kwethu ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu.
