Verse 1: UMose waya ukukhuluma lawa mazwi kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli,
Verse 2: wathi kubo: “Ngineminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili namuhla; angisenamandla okuphuma nokungena; uJehova ushilo kimi ukuthi: ‘Awuyikuliwela leli Jordani.’
Verse 3: Kepha uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuwela phambi kwakho, achithe lezi zizwe phambi kwakho, uzidle; uJoshuwa uyakuwela phambi kwakho njengokukhuluma kukaJehova.
Verse 4: UJehova uyakwenza kuzo njengokwenza kwakhe kuSihoni naku-Ogi amakhosi ama-Amori nakulo izwe lakubo ababulalayo.
Verse 5: UJehova uyakuzinikela phambi kwenu, nenze kuzo njengemiyalo yonke enginiyale ngayo.
Verse 6: Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningashaywa luvalo ngabo, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho nguyena ohamba nawe; akayikukuyeka, akushiye.”
Verse 7: UMose wambiza uJoshuwa, wathi kuye emehlweni abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli: “Qina, ume isibindi, ngokuba uyakuhamba nalaba bantu, uye ezweni uJehova afunga koyise ukubanika lona; wena uyakwenza ukuba balidle ifa lalo.
Verse 8: UJehova nguye ohamba phambi kwakho; uyakuba nawe; akayikukuyeka, akushiye; ungesabi, ungabi nangebhe.”
Verse 9: UMose waloba lowo mthetho, wabanika wona abapristi, amadodana kaLevi, ababethwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova namalunga onke akwa-Israyeli.
Verse 10: UMose wabayala wathi: “Ngasekugcineni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa njalo, ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo somnyaka woyekelo ngomkhosi wamadokodo,
Verse 11: lapho wonke u-Israyeli efike ukubonakala phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho endaweni ayakuyikhetha, wofunda lo mthetho phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke ezindlebeni zakhe.
Verse 12: Butha abantu, amadoda, nabesifazane, nabantwana, nomfokazi wakho ophakathi kwamasango akho ukuba bezwe, bafunde, bamesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, baqaphele ukuwenza onke amazwi alo mthetho,
Verse 13: nokuba abantwana babo abangawaziyo bezwe, bafunde ukumesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu isikhathi sonke sokuhlala kwenu ezweni eniwela iJordani ukuba ningene kulo ukulidla.”
Verse 14: UJehova wathi kuMose: “Bheka, izinsuku zakho sezisondele zokuba ufe; mbize uJoshuwa, nime etendeni lokuhlangana ukuba ngimyale.” OMose noJoshuwa base behamba, bema etendeni lokuhlangana.
Verse 15: UJehova wabonakala etendeni esensikeni yefu, insika yema ngasemnyango wetende.
Verse 16: UJehova wathi kuMose: “Bheka, wolala koyihlo; laba bantu bayakusuka, baye ukuphinga nawonkulunkulu babezizwe abasezweni abaya kulo ukuba bahlale phakathi kwabo, bangishiye, basaphule isivumelwano engisenzile nabo.
Verse 17: Intukuthelo yami iyakubavuthela ngalolo suku, ngibashiye, ngifihle ubuso bami kubo; bayakudliwa, behlelwe ngokubi nezinhlupheko eziningi, baze bathi ngalolo suku: ‘Lokhu okubi akusehlelanga yini ngokuba uNkulunkulu wethu engekho phakathi kwethu na?’
Verse 18: Mina ngiyakufihla nokufihla ubuso bami ngalolo suku ngenxa yakho konke okubi abayakube bekwenzile, lokhu bephendukele kwabanye onkulunkulu.
Verse 19: “Ngalokho zilobeleni leli hubo, ulifundise abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ulibeke emilonyeni yabo ukuba leli hubo libe ngufakazi wami ukumelana nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 20: Ngokuba lapho sengibangenisile ezweni engalifungela oyise, elivame ubisi nezinyosi, badle, basuthe, bakhuluphale, bayakuphendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonze, bangidelele, basaphule isivumelwano sami.
Verse 21: Kuyakuthi lapho sebehlelwe ngokubi nezinhlupheko eziningi, leli hubo lifakaze phambi kwabo njengofakazi, ngokuba aliyikukhohlakala emilonyeni yenzalo yabo, lokhu ngiyazi imicabango yabo abayicabangayo namanje, ngingakabangenisi ezweni engalifungela bona.”
Verse 22: UMose wayeseloba leli hubo ngalona lolo suku, walifundisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 23: Wamyala uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, wathi: “Qina, ume isibindi, ngokuba wena uyakubangenisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezweni engalifungela bona; mina ngiyakuba nawe.”
Verse 24: Kwathi lapho uMose eseqedile ukuloba amazwi alo mthetho encwadini aze aphela,
Verse 25: uMose wawayala amaLevi ayethwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, wathi:
Verse 26: “Thathani le ncwadi yomthetho, niyibeke ngaseceleni komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, ibe khona, ibe ngufakazi, imelane nani.
Verse 27: Ngokuba mina ngiyakwazi ukwambuka kwakho nentamo yakho elukhuni; bheka, ngisekhona nani namuhla niyahlubuka uJehova; kuyakuba kakhulu kangakanani emva kokufa kwami na?
Verse 28: Ngibuthele onke amalunga ezizwe zenu nezinduna zenu ukuba ngikhulume lawa mazwi ezindlebeni zazo, ngifakazise izulu nomhlaba ngazo.
Verse 29: Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi emva kokufa kwami niyakona nokona, niphambuke endleleni enginiyale ngayo, ububi bunehlele ngezinsuku ezizayo, ngokuba niyakwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nimthukuthelise ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu.”
Verse 30: UMose wayesekhuluma ezindlebeni zebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli amazwi ehubo lakhe, aze aphela.