Joshua 4
1 And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,
Kwathi isizwe sonke sesimchaphile uJodani, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
2 Take for you twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,
“Khetha amadoda alitshumi lambili phakathi kwabantu, yileyo imele isizwana sako-Israyeli,
3 and command ye them, saying, Take for you here out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge this night.
ubusubatshela ukuthi bathathe amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani kusukela lapho okwakumi khona abaphristi, beseliwathwala liwabeke endaweni elizalala kuyo lamuhla ebusuku.”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the sons of Israel, a man out of every tribe.
Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wabiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewakhethe phakathi kwabako-Israyeli, eyodwa ivela esizwaneni.
5 And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
Wasesithi kuwo, “Hambani phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu liye phakathi laphakathi kweJodani. Omunye lomunye wenu kumele athwale ilitshe ehlombe lakhe, kusiya ngenani lezizwana zako-Israyeli,
6 that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What do ye mean by these stones?
ukuze kube luphawu phakathi kwenu. Kwelizayo nxa abantwana benu belibuza besithi, ‘Kanti amatshe la atshoni?’
7 Then ye shall say to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.
Libatshele ukuthi ukugeleza kweJodani kwamiswa phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo. Kwathi lapho umtshokotsho uchapha iJodani, amanzi omfula uJodani ehlukaniswa. Amatshe la azakuba yisukhumbuzo ebantwini bako-Israyeli nini lanini.”
8 And the sons of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
Ngakho-ke abako-Israyeli benza njengokulaya kukaJoshuwa. Bathatha amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani, kusiya ngenani lezizwana zako-Israyeli, njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo; basebewathwalela ezihonqweni zabo lapho abafika bawabeka khona phansi.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day.
UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi lambili ayekade ephakathi laphakathi kweJodani, endaweni lapho abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano abafika bema khona njalo lokhu ekhonapho kuze kube lamhlanje.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hastened and passed over.
Abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho baqhubeka bemi phakathi kweJodani abantu baze baqeda konke uThixo ayekulaye uJoshuwa, njengokuqondiswa kukaJoshuwa nguMosi. Abantu bedlula ngokuphangisa
11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of Jehovah passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
njalo bathi bonke sebechaphile, umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo labaphristi beza kwelinye icele abantu bekhangele.
12 And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.
Amadoda akoRubheni, akoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase achapha ehlomile phambi kwabako-Israyeli njengokuqondisa kukaMosi.
13 About forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Jehovah to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Abantu abaphose bafike kunkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane ababehlomele impi bachapha phambi kukaThixo besiya emagcekeni eJerikho ukuyakulwa impi.
14 On that day Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
Ngalelolanga uThixo waphakamisa uJoshuwa emehlweni abo bonke abako-Israyeli; njalo bamhlonipha okwempilo yakhe yonke, njengoba babehloniphe uMosi.
15 And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,
UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
16 Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.
“Laya abaphristi abathwele umtshokotsho woBufakazi bakhuphuke baphume eJodani.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of the Jordan.
Ngakho uJoshuwa walaya abaphristi wathi, “Phumani phakathi kweJodani.”
18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as formerly.
Abaphristi baphuma emfuleni bethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo. Bonela ukunyathela umhlabathi owomileyo amanzi eJodani ahle abuyela endaweni yawo, ageleza okomfula ogcweleyo njengakuqala.
19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
Ngelanga letshumi enyangeni yakuqala abantu basuka eJodani bayamisa izihonqo eGiligali emngceleni ongempumalanga yeJerikho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi ayethethwe phakathi kweJodani eGiligali.
21 And he spoke to the sons of Israel, saying, When your sons shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean?
Wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli wathi, “Kwelizayo nxa izizukulwane zenu zingabuza abazali bazo zisithi, ‘Amatshe la atshoni?’
22 Then ye shall let your sons know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
Kumele libatshele ukuthi ‘Abako-Israyeli bachapha uJodani emhlabathini owomileyo!’
23 For Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over,
Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu womisa umfula uJodani phambi kwenu laze lachapha. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wenza kuJodani lokho akwenza oLwandle Olubomvu aze alomise phambi kwethu saze sachapha sonke.
24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty, that ye may fear Jehovah your God forever.
Wenza lokhu ukuze abantu bonke bomhlaba bakwazi ukuthi isandla sikaThixo silamandla lokuthi lihlale limesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
