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.
19. Kepha uma izwe lefa lenu lingcolile, welani, niye ezweni lefa likaJehova, lapho lihlala khona itabernakele* likaJehova, nibe nefa phakathi kwethu; kepha ningahlubuki uJehova, ningahlubuki futhi kithi ngokuzakhela i-altare ngaphandle kwe-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
20. U-Akani indodana kaZera akenzanga yini isiphambeko kukho okuqalekisiweyo, yonke inhlangano yakwa-Israyeli yehlelwa yintukuthelo na? Futhi akafanga yedwa lowo muntu ebubini bakhe.’ ”
21. Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase baphendula, bakhuluma kuzo izinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli, bathi:
22. “UNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, yebo, uNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uyakwazi, no-Israyeli futhi uyakukwazi ukuthi uma kwakungokuhlubuka noma kungokuphambuka kuJehova, ungasisindisi namuhla
23. ngokuthi sizakhele i-altare, sabuya ekumlandeleni uJehova; futhi uma kwakungukuba sinikele phezu kwalo ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yempuphu, nokuba sinikele ngemihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula phezu kwalo, uJehova uqobo makakubize.
24. “Qha, impela senzile lokho ngokunakekela nangesizathu, sathi: Ngesikhathi esizayo abantwana benu bangakhuluma kubantwana bethu ngokuthi: ‘Ninamsebenzi muni noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli na?
25. UJehova wenzile iJordani umkhawulo phakathi kwethu nani, nina bantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi; aninasabelo kuJehova;’ abantwana benu bese bebuyisela emuva abantwana bethu ukuba bangabe besamesaba uJehova.
26. “Sase sithi-ke: ‘Masenze silakhe i-altare, lingabi ngelomnikelo wokushiswa nelomhlatshelo,’
27. kepha libe ngufakazi phakathi kwethu nani naphakathi kwezizukulwane zethu emva kwethu, ukuze senze inkonzo kaJehova phambi kwakhe ngeminikelo yethu yokushiswa, nangemihlatshelo yethu, nangeminikelo yethu yokuthula, ukuba abantwana benu bangasho kubantwana bethu ngesikhathi esizayo ukuthi: ‘Aninasabelo kuJehova.’
28. “Sathi-ke: ‘Kuyakuthi lapho besho kanjalo kithi nakuzo izizukulwane zethu ngesikhathi esizayo, sisho ukuthi: “Bhekani isifanekiso se-altare likaJehova abalenzayo obaba, lingabi ngeleminikelo yokushiswa nelemihlatshelo; lingufakazi phakathi kwethu nani.” ’
29. “Makube kude nathi ukuba sihlubuke uJehova, sibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova ngokwakha i-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, neleminikelo yempuphu, nelemihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwe-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwetabernakele* lakhe.”
30. Kuthe uFinehasi umpristi, nezikhulu zenhlangano, izinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli ezazinaye sezizwile amazwi akhulunywa ngabantwana bakwaRubeni, nangabantwana bakwaGadi, nangabantwana bakwaManase, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo.
31. UFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi wathi kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakubantwana bakwaManase: “Namuhla siyazi ukuthi uJehova uphakathi kwethu, ngokuba anenzanga lesi siphambeko kuJehova; manje senophulile abantwana bakwa-Israyeli esandleni sikaJehova.”