Joshua 1
1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant. He told him,
Ngemva kokufa kukaMosi inceku kaThixo, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, umsekeli kaMosi:
2 “My servant Moses has died. So go and cross the Jordan, you and all the people, and enter the country I am giving to the Israelites.
“UMosi inceku yami usefile. Ngakho-ke, wena labantu bonke laba, lungiselelani ukuchapha umfula uJodani liye elizweni esengizalinika lona, abako-Israyeli.
3 As I promised Moses, everywhere you set foot will be land I am giving to you,
Ngizalinika zonke izindawo lapho elizanyathela khona ngezinyawo zenu njengokuthembisa engakwenza kuMosi.
4 from the desert to Lebanon, and on up to the River Euphrates; all the land of the Hittites, and to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the west. This will be your territory.
Ilizwe lenu lizasukela enkangala yeLebhanoni lasemfuleni omkhulu uYufrathe, ilizwe lonke lamaHithi, lize liyekhawula olwandle olukhulu entshonalanga.
5 No one will be able to stand against you while you live. Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.
Kakulamuntu ozenelisa ukumelana lani zonke insuku zokuphila kwenu. Njengoba ngangiloMosi, ngizakuba lawe; kangisoze ngikutshiye, kangisoze ngikudele.
6 Be strong! Be brave! You will be the people's leader as they occupy the land I promised their ancestors that I would give them.
Qina ube lesibindi ngenxa yokuthi uzakhokhela abantu laba ukuze bayethatha ilizwe elilifa labo engafunga kubokhokho babo ukuthi ngizabanika lona.
7 Just be strong and very brave, and be sure to obey all the law that my servant Moses instructed you to follow. Don't turn aside from it, either to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in everything you do.
Qina ube lesibindi. Ugcine yonke imithetho owayiphiwa nguMosi inceku yami, ungaze waphambuka kuyo uye kwesokunene kumbe kwesokhohlo ukuze uphumelele kuzozonke izindawo ozakuya kuzo.
8 Keep on reminding the people about the law. Meditate on it day and night, so you can be sure to do what it requires. Then you will be successful and prosper in what you do.
INcwadi yoMthetho le kayingasuki emlonyeni wakho, cabanga ngayo emini lebusuku ukuze unanzelele ukugcina konke okulotshwe kuyo. Ngokwena njalo uzaphumelela.
9 Don't forget what I told you: Be strong! Be brave! Don't be afraid! Don't get discouraged! For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Angikulayanga na? Qina ube lesibindi, ungethuki njalo ungalahli ithemba, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba lawe loba kungaphi lapho oya khona.”
10 Then Joshua gave an order to those in charge of the people:
Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa walaya iziphathamandla zabantu wathi:
11 “Go through the whole camp and tell the people, ‘Get everything ready, because in three days time we will cross the Jordan, to go and take the land God is giving to you to possess.’”
“Dabulani phakathi kwezihonqo litshele abantu ukuthi, ‘Lungisani imiphako yenu. Ensukwini ezintathu kusukela lamhla lizachapha uJodani lapha ukuze lingene liyethatha ilizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu!’”
12 But to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said,
UJoshuwa wathi kwabakoRubheni, labakoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sikaManase,
13 “Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, ordered you to do: ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest, and will give you this land.’
“Khumbulani umlayo uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika wona owokuthi: ‘UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzaliphumuza ngokulinika ilizwe leli.’
14 Your wives and children, and your livestock will remain here in the land that Moses allotted you on the east side of the Jordan. But all your armed men, ready for battle, will cross over ahead of your brothers to help them,
Amakhosikazi enu, abantwabenu lezifuyo zenu zingahlala elizweni elalinikwa nguMosi empumalanga yeJodani, kodwa ibutho lenu lonke, lihlome liphelele, kumele lichaphe ngaphambi kwabafowenu. Kuzamele lincedise abafowenu,
15 until the Lord lets them rest, as he has let you rest, and they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord is giving to you. Then you can return and occupy your own land which Moses allotted to you on the east side of the Jordan.”
uThixo aze abaphumuze, njengalokho alenzele khona lina, labo baze bathathe ilizwe lelo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu abanika lona. Ngemva kwalokho selingabuyela liyehlala elizweni lenu, uMosi inceku kaThixo alinika lona ngempumalanga yeJodani.”
16 They said to Joshua, “We will do everything you have ordered us to do, and we will go wherever you send us.
Baphendula uJoshuwa bathi, “Konke osilaya khona sizakwenza, lalapho osithuma khona sizahamba.
17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses in everything. May the Lord God be with you as he was with Moses.
Njengalokhu salalela uMosi ngokupheleleyo, lawe sizakulalela. Sifisa ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho abe lawe njengoba wayeloMosi.
18 Anyone who rebels against what you say and doesn't follow your orders, who doesn't obey everything you command, will be put to death. So be strong! Be brave!”
Yiloba ngubani ohlamukela ilizwi lakho njalo engalaleli lokho okutshoyo, lalokho oyabe ukulaya, kumele abulawe. Kumele uqine ube lesibindi!”
