UJoshuwa 6:1-27

Amasango eJerikho ayevaliwe ngaphakathi nangaphandle ngenxa yabantu bakwa-Israyeli; kwakungaphumi futhi kungangeni muntu. USimakade wathi kuJoshuwa: “Bheka, ngilinikele kuwe iJerikho, lona kanye nenkosi yalo namaqhawe alo anamandla. Niyakuhamba niwuzungeze kanye umuzi. Uyakukwenza lokhu izinsuku eziyisithupha, nabaphristi abayisikhombisa bephethe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama, behamba phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa uyakuwuzungeza umuzi kuze kube kasikhombisa, abaphristi bebetha amacilongo. Kuyothi lapho beshaya uphondo lwenqama isikhathi eside, lapho nje nikuzwa ukukhala kwecilongo, bonke abantu bayakumemeza ngesaho esikhulu, udonga lomuzi luyakudilika bese bonke abantu begasela phakathi.” Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa, indodana kaNuni, wabiza abaphristi, wathi kubo: “Thathani umphongolo wesivumelwano bese abaphristi abayisikhombisa baphathe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama phambi komphongolo kaSimakade.” Wathi kubantu: “Phikelelani phambili, niwuzungeze umuzi; amadoda ahlomile mawedlule phambi komphongolo kaSimakade.” Njengoba uJoshuwa ayebayalile abantu, abaphristi abayisikhombisa bephethe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama bahamba phambi kukaSimakade befutha amacilongo abo, nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade ulandela ngemuva kwabo. Amadoda ahlomile ahamba phambi kwabaphristi ababeshaya amacilongo. Amanye ahamba ngemuva elandela umphongolo, abashaya amacilongo bawashaya kabaze baphumula. UJoshuwa wabayala abantu, wathi: “Aniyukukhuza saga, aniyukumemeza, futhi aniyukusho lutho kuze kube lusuku engiyonitshela ngalo ukuba nikhuze isaga. Lapho-ke niyakumemeza nikhamuluke.” Umphongolo kaSimakade wazungeza umuzi, wawuzungeza kanye, base bebuyela enkanjini yabo, balala lobo busuku lapho babekanise khona. UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, abaphristi bathatha umphongolo kaSimakade. Abaphristi abayisikhombisa ababephethe amacilongo ezimpondo zezinqama ayisikhombisa, bedlula phambi komphongolo kaSimakade beshaya amacilongo. Amadoda ahlomile ahamba phambi kwabo, amanye alandela umphongolo kaSimakade, kwathi abashaya amacilongo bawashaya bengaphumuli. Ngosuku lwesibili bahamba bawuzungeza umuzi kanye, base bebuyela enkanjini. Bakwenza lokho izinsuku eziyisithupha. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa bavuka ekuseni kusempondozankomo bahamba bawuzungeza umuzi ngendlela efanayo, kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa. Kwakungalolo lusuku kuphela lapho bahamba bawuzungeza kasikhombisa umuzi. Lapho sekungokwesikhombisa, abaphristi sebewashayile amacilongo, uJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Memezani kakhulu, ngokuba uSimakade uwunikele kini lo muzi. Umuzi nakho konke okukuwo kuyakunikelwa kuSimakade, ubhujiswe, nguRahabi isifebe kuphela nabo bonke abanaye endlini yakhe abayosinda, ngokuba wathukusa izinhloli zethu esasizithumele. Nize ningazithinti izinto ezimiselwe ukucekelwa phansi, nize ningazinxaneli nithathe zonke izinto ezimiselwe ukubhujiswa bese nenza inkambu ka-Israyeli into yokubhujiswa, nilethe ukuhlupheka phezu kwayo. Kepha lonke isiliva, igolide, izitsha zethusi nezensimbi kungcwele kuSimakade, kuyakuyiswa endlini yengcebo kaSimakade.” Abantu bamemeza kakhulu, kwakhala amacilongo. Kwathi ukuba abantu bezwe ukukhala kwamacilongo, bamemeza kakhulu, lwawa udonga, ngakho-ke abantu bawuthelekela, bawudla umuzi. Baphokophelela ukubhubhisa ngenkemba konke okwakulowo muzi, abesilisa nabesifazane, abancane nabadala, izinkomo nezimvu, nezimbongolo. UJoshuwa wathi kulawo madoda amabili ayekade ehlole izwe: “Ngenani endlini yesifebe, nimkhiphe owesifazane kuyo nabo bonke abakwabo, njengalokhu nafunga kuye.” Izinsizwa ezazikade ziyizinhloli zangena zamkhipha uRahabi, noyise, nonina, nabafowabo, nabo bonke ayenabo. Zawukhipha wonke umndeni wakhe, zababeka ngaphandle kwenkambu yakwa-Israyeli. Bawushisa ngomlilo wonke umuzi, nakho konke okwakukuwo, ngaphandle kwesiliva negolide nezimpahla zethusi nezensimbi okwafakwa endlini yengcebo kaSimakade. UJoshuwa wamsindisa uRahabi, isifebe, nabendlu kayise, nabo bonke ayenabo. Selokhu bahlala kwa-Israyeli kuze kube namuhla ngokuba wafihla izithunywa uJoshuwa ayezithume ukuyohlola iJerikho. Ngaleso sikhathi uJoshuwa wenza lesi sifungo wathi: “Makaqalekiswe phambi kukaSimakade lowo oyozama ukwakha lo muzi iJerikho. Obeka isisekelo salo uyakulahlekelwa yizibulo lakhe, ovuselela amasango alo uyakulahlekelwa yindodana yokugcina.” USimakade wayenaye uJoshuwa, udumo lwakhe lwagcwala ezweni lonke.