Joshua 4
1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
Kwathi isizwe sonke sesimchaphile uJodani, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
“Khetha amadoda alitshumi lambili phakathi kwabantu, yileyo imele isizwana sako-Israyeli,
3 and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”
ubusubatshela ukuthi bathathe amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani kusukela lapho okwakumi khona abaphristi, beseliwathwala liwabeke endaweni elizalala kuyo lamuhla ebusuku.”
4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wabiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewakhethe phakathi kwabako-Israyeli, eyodwa ivela esizwaneni.
5 and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes 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 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
ukuze kube luphawu phakathi kwenu. Kwelizayo nxa abantwana benu belibuza besithi, ‘Kanti amatshe la atshoni?’
7 you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites 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 Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.
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 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones 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 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,
Abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho baqhubeka bemi phakathi kweJodani abantu baze baqeda konke uThixo ayekulaye uJoshuwa, njengokuqondiswa kukaJoshuwa nguMosi. Abantu bedlula ngokuphangisa
11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.
njalo bathi bonke sebechaphile, umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo labaphristi beza kwelinye icele abantu bekhangele.
12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.
Amadoda akoRubheni, akoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase achapha ehlomile phambi kwabako-Israyeli njengokuqondisa kukaMosi.
13 About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.
Abantu abaphose bafike kunkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane ababehlomele impi bachapha phambi kukaThixo besiya emagcekeni eJerikho ukuyakulwa impi.
14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
Ngalelolanga uThixo waphakamisa uJoshuwa emehlweni abo bonke abako-Israyeli; njalo bamhlonipha okwempilo yakhe yonke, njengoba babehloniphe uMosi.
15 Then the LORD said to Joshua,
UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
“Laya abaphristi abathwele umtshokotsho woBufakazi bakhuphuke baphume eJodani.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
Ngakho uJoshuwa walaya abaphristi wathi, “Phumani phakathi kweJodani.”
18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
Abaphristi baphuma emfuleni bethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo. Bonela ukunyathela umhlabathi owomileyo amanzi eJodani ahle abuyela endaweni yawo, ageleza okomfula ogcweleyo njengakuqala.
19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
Ngelanga letshumi enyangeni yakuqala abantu basuka eJodani bayamisa izihonqo eGiligali emngceleni ongempumalanga yeJerikho.
20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi ayethethwe phakathi kweJodani eGiligali.
21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’
Wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli wathi, “Kwelizayo nxa izizukulwane zenu zingabuza abazali bazo zisithi, ‘Amatshe la atshoni?’
22 you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
Kumele libatshele ukuthi ‘Abako-Israyeli bachapha uJodani emhlabathini owomileyo!’
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed 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 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”
Wenza lokhu ukuze abantu bonke bomhlaba bakwazi ukuthi isandla sikaThixo silamandla lokuthi lihlale limesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
