Duteronomi 31:1-30
31 Khona-ke uMose wahamba wawakhuluma la mazwi ku-Israyeli wonke
2 wathi kuye: “Ngineminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili ubudala namuhla.+ Ngeke ngisavunyelwa ukuba ngiphume futhi ngingene,+ njengoba uJehova eshilo kimi wathi, ‘Ngeke uliwele leli Jordani.’+
3 UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho nguye owela phambi kwakho.+ Yena uqobo uzozibhuqa lezi zizwe phambi kwakho, kumelwe uzixoshe.+ UJoshuwa nguye owela phambi kwakho,+ njengoba nje uJehova ekhulumile.
4 UJehova ngokuqinisekile uyokwenza kuzo njengoba nje enzile koSihoni+ no-Ogi,+ amakhosi ama-Amori, nasezweni lawo, lapho ewabhuqa.+
5 UJehova uzinikele kini,+ futhi kumelwe nenze kuzo ngokwawo wonke umyalo enginiyale ngawo.+
6 Yibani nesibindi niqine.+ Ungazesabi noma zikwethuse,+ ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho nguye ohamba nawe. Ngeke akulahle noma akushiye ngokuphelele.”+
7 UMose wabiza uJoshuwa wakhuluma naye phambi kwamehlo ka-Israyeli wonke, wathi: “Yiba nesibindi uqine,+ ngoba wena—wena uzosingenisa lesi sizwe ezweni uJehova afunga kokhokho baso ukusinika lona, futhi wena impela uzosinika lona njengefa.+
8 UJehova nguye ohamba phambi kwakho. Yena uqobo uzoqhubeka enawe.+ Ngeke akulahle noma akushiye ngokuphelele. Ungesabi noma wethuke.”+
9 Khona-ke uMose waloba lo mthetho+ wawunika abapristi amadodana kaLevi,+ abathwali bomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova,+ nawo wonke amadoda amadala akwa-Israyeli.
10 UMose waqhubeka ebayala, ethi: “Njalo ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa, ngesikhathi esimisiwe sonyaka wokukhulula,+ ngomkhosi wamadokodo,+
11 lapho wonke u-Israyeli eza ezobona ubuso bukaJehova+ uNkulunkulu wakho endaweni ayoyikhetha,+ uyofunda lo mthetho phambi kwawo wonke u-Israyeli ezwa.+
12 Butha abantu,+ amadoda nabesifazane nabancane nomfokazi okuwe ongaphakathi kwamasango akho, ukuze balalele futhi bafunde,+ njengoba kumelwe bamesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu+ baqaphele ukuwafeza wonke amazwi alo mthetho.
13 Abantwana babo abangazi kufanele balalele,+ futhi kumelwe bafunde ukwesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu zonke izinsuku eniziphilayo ezweni eniwela iJordani ukuyolidla.”+
14 Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wathi kuMose: “Bheka! Izinsuku zokuba ufe sezisondele.+ Biza uJoshuwa, nime etendeni lokuhlangana, ukuze ngimmise.”+ Ngakho uMose noJoshuwa baya bama etendeni lokuhlangana.+
15 Khona-ke uJehova wavela etendeni ensikeni yefu, insika yefu yaqala ukuma emnyango wetende.+
16 UJehova manje wathi kuMose: “Bheka! Ulala nokhokho bakho;+ futhi lesi sizwe ngokuqinisekile siyosuka+ siziphathe kabi ngokobulili nabanye onkulunkulu bezwe esiya kulo,+ khona kanye phakathi kwaso, futhi ngokuqinisekile siyongishiya+ siphule isivumelwano sami engisenze naso.+
17 Khona-ke intukuthelo yami iyosivuthela impela ngalolo suku,+ ngokuqinisekile ngiyosishiya+ futhi ngisifihlele ubuso bami,+ sibe yinto yokuqothulwa; izinhlekelele eziningi nokucindezeleka kuyokwehlela phezu kwaso,+ nakanjani ngalolo suku siyothi, ‘Akungenxa yini yokuba uNkulunkulu wethu engekho phakathi kwethu ukuthi lezi zinhlekelele zisehlele?’+
18 Kepha mina, ngiyobufihla ngokuphelele ubuso bami ngalolo suku ngenxa yabo bonke ububi baso esibenzile, ngoba siye saphendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu.+
19 “Manje zibhaleleni le ngoma+ futhi niyifundise abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+ Yibeke emilonyeni yabo ukuze le ngoma isebenze njengofakazi wami ngokumelene nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+
20 Ngoba ngizobaletha ezweni engalifungela kokhokho babo,+ eligeleza ubisi noju,+ futhi ngokuqinisekile bayodla+ baneliswe bakhuluphale+ bese bephendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu,+ babakhonze impela futhi bangidelele baphule isivumelwano sami.+
21 Kuyothi lapho izinhlekelele eziningi nokucindezeleka kubehlela,+ le ngoma iphendule phambi kwabo njengofakazi, ngoba akufanele ilibaleke emlonyeni wenzalo yabo, ngoba ngikwazi kahle ukuthambekela+ abakuhlakulelayo namuhla ngaphambi kokuba ngibangenise ezweni engifungé ngalo.”
22 Ngakho uMose wayiloba le ngoma ngalolo suku, ukuze ayifundise abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+
23 Wammisa uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni+ wathi: “Yiba nesibindi uqine,+ ngoba wena—wena uzobangenisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezweni engibafungele lona,+ futhi mina ngokwami ngizoqhubeka nginawe.”
24 Kwathi ngokushesha nje lapho uMose eseqedile ukuloba amazwi alo mthetho encwadini aze aphelela,+
25 uMose wayala amaLevi, abathwali bomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova,+ ethi:
26 “Njengoba nithatha le ncwadi yomthetho,+ kumelwe niyibeke ohlangothini lomphongolo+ wesivumelwano sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, isebenze njengofakazi omelene nani.+
27 Ngoba mina—mina ngikwazi kahle ukudlubulunda+ kwenu nentamo yenu elukhuni.+ Uma niye nadlubulunda kuJehova ekuziphatheni kwenu,+ ngisaphila kanye nani namuhla, kakhulu kangakanani-ke ngemva kokufa kwami!
28 Buthelani kimi wonke amadoda amadala ezizwe zenu nezikhulu zenu,+ ngiwakhulume la mazwi ezwa, futhi ngimise amazulu nomhlaba njengofakazi ngokumelene nawo.+
29 Ngoba ngazi kahle ukuthi ngemva kokufa kwami, nakanjani niyokwenza ngendlela echithayo,+ ngokuqinisekile niyophambuka endleleni enginiyale ngayo; nakanjani niyokwehlelwa inhlekelele+ ekupheleni kwezinsuku, ngoba niyokwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova ukuze nimcasule ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu.”+
30 UMose wawakhuluma lizwa lonke ibandla lika-Israyeli amazwi ale ngoma aze aphelela:+
