1. UJoshuwa wababiza abakwaRubeni, nabakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase,
2. wathi kubo: “Nigcinile konke uMose inceku kaJehova aniyala ngakho, nalalela izwi lami kukho konke enganiyala ngakho;
3. anishiyanga abafowenu lezi zinsuku eziningi kuze kube namuhla, kepha nigcinile imfanelo yomyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.
4. Manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ubanikile abafowenu ukuphumula njengalokho ebekhuluma kubo; ngalokho buyani, niye ematendeni enu ezweni lefa lenu aninika lona uMose inceku kaJehova ngaphesheya kweJordani.
5. Qaphelisisani kuphela ukwenza imiyalo nomthetho aniyala ngakho uMose inceku kaJehova ukuba nimthande uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, nihambe kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, nigcine imiyalo yakhe, ninamathele kuye, nimkhonze ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu nangawo wonke umphefumulo wenu.”
6. UJoshuwa wayesebabusisa, wabamukisa; baya ematendeni abo.
7. Inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase uMose wayeyabele izwe eBashani, kepha inxenye uJoshuwa wayinika izwe phakathi kwabafowabo phesheya kweJordani ngasentshonalanga. Lapho uJoshuwa esebamukisa ukuba baye ematendeni abo, wababusisa, wakhuluma kubo, wathi:
8. “Buyelani ematendeni enu nemfuyo eningi: izinkomo eziningi kakhulu, nesiliva, negolide, nethusi, nensimbi, nezingubo eziningi, nabelane impango yezitha zenu nabafowenu.”
9. Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase babuya, bamuka kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli eShilo eliyizwe laseKhanani ukuba baye ezweni lakwaGileyadi, izwe lefa labo, ababelwa lona njengesiyalezo sikaJehova ngesandla sikaMose;
10. sebefike eziyingeni zamatshe ngaseJordani ezisezweni laseKhanani abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakha khona i-altare ngaseJordani, liyi-altare elikhulu ukubonakala kwalo.
11. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bezwa kuthiwa: “Bhekani, abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakhile i-altare malungana nezwe laseKhanani eziyingeni zamatshe ngaseJordani ngaphesheya kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”
12. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli sebezwile lokho, yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli yabuthana ngaseShilo ukuba ikhuphuke ilwe nabo.
13. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathuma kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakuyo inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi,
14. nezikhulu eziyishumi kanye naye, isikhulu sibe sinye ngendlu kayise ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli, yileso naleso siyinhloko yendlu kayise phakathi kwemindeni yakwa-Israyeli.
15. Bafika kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakuyo inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi, bakhuluma kubo, bathi:
16. “Isho kanje yonke inhlangano kaJehova, ithi: ‘Isiphambeko sini enisenzile kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba nibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova ngokuzakhela i-altare, nihlubuke namuhla uJehova.
17. Ububi basePeyori buncane yini kithi esingakazihlambululi kubo kuze kube namuhla, noma inhlangano kaJehova yehlelwa yisifo,
18. ukuba nibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova na? Kuzakuthi uma nihlubuka namuhla uJehova, athukuthelele yonke inhlangano ka-Israyeli kusasa.