Verse 1: UJoshuwa wabutha zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli eShekemi, wabiza amalunga akwa-Israyeli, nezinhloko zakhe, nabahluleli bakhe, nezinduna zakhe, bema phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Verse 2: UJoshuwa wathi kubantu bonke: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Oyihlo bahlala endulo ngaphesheya koMfula, uThera uyise ka-Abrahama noyise kaNahori, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
Verse 3: Ngamthatha uyihlo u-Abrahama ngaphesheya koMfula, ngamhambisa ezweni lonke laseKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamupha u-Isaka.
Verse 4: Ngamupha u-Isaka oJakobe no-Esawu; ngamnika u-Esawu intaba yaseSeyiri ukuba ayidle; uJakobe nabantwana bakhe behlela eGibithe.
Verse 5: “ ‘Ngathuma oMose no-Aroni, ngahlupha iGibithe ngalokho engakwenza phakathi kwalo; ngasemuva nganikhipha.
Verse 6: Ngakhipha oyihlo eGibithe; nafika elwandle; abaseGibithe babaxosha oyihlo ngezinqola nangabamahhashi, baze bafika eLwandle Olubomvu.
Verse 7: Lapho bekhala kuJehova, wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu nabaseGibithe, waluhambisa ulwandle phezu kwabo, wabasibekela; amehlo enu abona engakwenzayo eGibithe; nahlala ehlane izinsuku eziningi.
Verse 8: “ ‘Nganingenisa ezweni lama-Amori ahlala ngaphesheya kweJordani, alwa nani; ngawanikela esandleni senu, nadla izwe lawo; ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
Verse 9: Kwase kuvuka uBalaki indodana kaSipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, walwa no-Israyeli; wathuma wabiza uBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ukuba aniqalekise,
Verse 10: kepha angithandanga ukumlalela uBileyamu, kodwa kakhulu wanibusisa, nganophula esandleni sakhe.
Verse 11: “ ‘Nase niwela iJordani, nafika eJeriko; amadoda aseJeriko alwa nani, nama-Amori, namaPherizi, namaKhanani, namaHeti, namaGirigashi, namaHivi, namaJebusi, ngawanikela esandleni senu.
Verse 12: Ngathuma iminyovu phambi kwenu eyawaxosha phambi kwenu amakhosi omabili ama-Amori, kungengankemba yakho noma ngomnsalo wakho.
Verse 13: Nganinika izwe eningakhandlekanga kulo, nemizi eningayakhanga nihlala nokho kuyo; niyadla ezivinini naseminqumeni eningakutshalanga.’
Verse 14: “Manje yesabani uJehova, nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangeqiniso, nisuse onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo phesheya koMfula naseGibithe, nimkhonze uJehova.
Verse 15: Uma kukubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uJehova, khethani namuhla ukuthi ngubani eniyakumkhonza, noma onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo besengaphesheya koMfula, noma onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo; kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uJehova.”
Verse 16: Abantu baphendula bathi: “Makube kude nathi ukumshiya uJehova ukuba sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu,
Verse 17: ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu nguye owasikhuphula thina nawobaba ezweni laseGibithe, indlu yobugqila, nowazenza lezo zibonakaliso emehlweni ethu, wasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo, naphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esadlula phakathi kwabo.
Verse 18: UJehova waxosha phambi kwethu bonke abantu, nama-Amori futhi ayehlala ezweni; ngalokho nathi siyakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu wethu.”
Verse 19: UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Aninakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ongcwele; unguNkulunkulu onomhawu, akayikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu nezono zenu.
Verse 20: Uma nimshiya uJehova, nikhonze onkulunkulu babezizwe, uyakuphenduka, anenzele okubi, aniqede esenenzele okuhle.”
Verse 21: Kepha abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Qha, ngokuba siyakumkhonza uJehova.”
Verse 22: Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubantu: “Nina ningofakazi benu bokuthi nizikhethele uJehova ukuba nimkhonze yena.” Bathi: “Singofakazi.”
Verse 23: Wathi: “Susani manje onkulunkulu babezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, nithobele izinhliziyo zenu kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.”
Verse 24: Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu siyakumkhonza, sililalele izwi lakhe.”
Verse 25: UJoshuwa wayesenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolo suku, wabamisela isimiso nomthetho eShekemi.
Verse 26: UJoshuwa waloba lawo mazwi encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, wathatha itshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho phansi kwe-oki elingasendlini engcwele kaJehova.
Verse 27: Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubo abantu bonke: “Bhekani, leli tshe liyakuba ngufakazi ngathi, ngokuba lizwile onke amazwi kaJehova awakhuluma kithi; ngalokho liyakuba ngufakazi ngani, funa nimphike uNkulunkulu wenu.”
Verse 28: UJoshuwa wayesebamukisa abantu, yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
Verse 29: Kwathi emva kwalezo zinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaJehova, wafa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.
Verse 30: Bammbela emkhawulweni wefa lakhe eThimnati Sera elisezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ngasenyakatho kwentaba yakwaGahashi.
Verse 31: U-Israyeli wamkhonza uJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa nazo zonke izinsuku zamalunga ayekhona izinsuku ezithile emva kukaJoshuwa, ayeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaJehova ayeyenzele u-Israyeli.
Verse 32: Amathambo kaJosefa akhushulwa eGibithe ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bawembela eShekemi esiqeshini sezwe asithengayo uJakobe kumadodana kaHamori uyise kaShekemi ngamakesita ayikhulu, laba ifa labantwana bakwaJosefa.
Verse 33: U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa; bammbela egqumeni likaFinehasi indodana yakhe, abenikiwe lona ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi.