Joshua 4
1 Once the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua,
Wakati taifa lote lilipokwisha kuvuka Mto Yordani, Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one per tribe,
“Chagua watu kumi na wawili miongoni mwa watu, kila kabila mtu mmoja,
3 and tell them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing. Then carry them and set them down at the place where you will camp tonight.’”
nawe uwaambie wachukue mawe kumi na mawili katikati ya Mto Yordani, palepale makuhani waliposimama, wayachukue na kuyaweka mahali mtakapokaa usiku huu wa leo.”
4 So Joshua sent for the twelve men he had chosen, one from each tribe,
Basi Yoshua akawaita watu kumi na wawili ambao alikuwa amewachagua kutoka miongoni mwa Waisraeli, mtu mmoja kutoka kila kabila,
5 and told them, “Go back into the middle of the Jordan, right in front of the Ark of the Agreement of the Lord your God, and each of you pick up a stone and carry it on your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
naye akawaambia, “Mtangulie mbele ya Sanduku la Bwana Mungu wenu, mwende katikati ya Mto Yordani. Kila mmoja wenu atainua jiwe begani mwake, kufuatana na hesabu ya makabila ya Waisraeli,
6 This will be a memorial among you so when your children one day ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’
kuwa kama ishara katikati yenu. Siku zijazo, wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza, ‘Ni nini maana ya mawe haya?’
7 you can tell them, ‘It's about the time the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Agreement went across. When it crossed over the water stopped. These stones are a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”
waambieni kwamba maji ya Mto Yordani yaliyokuwa yakitiririka yalitindika mbele ya Sanduku la Agano la Bwana. Wakati lilipovuka Yordani, maji ya Yordani yalitindika. Mawe haya yatakuwa kumbukumbu kwa watu wa Israeli milele.”
8 The people of Israel did as Joshua told them. The men picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped overnight and placed the stones there, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
Hivyo Waisraeli wakafanya kama Yoshua alivyowaagiza. Wakachukua mawe kumi na mawili kutoka katikati ya Mto Yordani, kulingana na hesabu ya kabila za Waisraeli kama Bwana alivyomwambia Yoshua, nao wakayabeba hadi kambini mwao, mahali walipoyatua chini.
9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan right where the priests carrying the Ark of the Agreement had stood, and they are still there to this very day.
Yoshua akayasimamisha yale mawe kumi na mawili ambayo yalikuwa katikati ya Mto Yordani, mahali pale ambapo miguu ya makuhani waliobeba Sanduku la Agano iliposimama. Nayo yako huko mpaka leo.
10 The priests carrying the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was done just as the Lord had told the people to do, all that Moses had told Joshua to do. The people crossed over quickly.
Makuhani waliobeba lile Sanduku walibakia wakiwa wamesimama katikati ya Mto Yordani mpaka kila kitu Bwana alichomwamuru Yoshua kilipokuwa kimefanywa na watu, sawasawa na vile Mose alivyokuwa amemwamuru Yoshua. Watu wakafanya haraka kuvuka,
11 Once all the people had crossed over, they watched as the Ark of the Lord was carried across by the priests.
na mara tu watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka, Sanduku la Bwana na makuhani wakavuka watu wakiwa wanatazama.
12 The armed men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed at the head of the people of Israel, as Moses had stipulated.
Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase wakavuka mbele ya Waisraeli, wakiwa wamevaa silaha, kama Mose alivyowaamuru.
13 They numbered about 40,000 men, armed and ready for battle, crossed in the presence of the Lord to the plains of Jericho.
Kiasi cha watu 40,000 waliojiandaa kwa vita walivuka mbele za Bwana hadi nchi tambarare za Yeriko kwa ajili ya vita.
14 On that day the Lord confirmed Joshua as great leader in the sight of all the Israelites, and they were in awe of him just as they had been in awe of Moses.
Siku ile Bwana akamtukuza Yoshua mbele ya Israeli yote, nao wakamheshimu siku zote za maisha yake, kama vile walivyomheshimu Mose.
15 The Lord had told Joshua,
Basi Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
16 “Order the priests carrying the Ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”
“Waamuru hao makuhani wanaolibeba Sanduku la Ushuhuda, wapande kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani.”
17 So Joshua told the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
Kwa hiyo Yoshua akawaamuru hao makuhani akisema, “Pandeni kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani.”
18 The priests came up out of the Jordan carrying the Ark of the Agreement, and as soon as their feet touched dry ground the waters of the Jordan returned to where they had been, overflowing its banks as before.
Nao makuhani wakapanda kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani wakilibeba hilo Sanduku la Agano la Bwana. Mara tu walipoiweka miguu yao penye kingo, nje ya mto, maji ya Yordani yakarudi kufurika kama ilivyokuwa kabla.
19 The people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal, to the east of Jericho, on the tenth day of the first month.
Siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kwanza watu walipanda kutoka Yordani na kupiga kambi huko Gilgali, kwenye mpaka wa mashariki ya Yeriko.
20 Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan.
Naye Yoshua akayasimamisha huko Gilgali yale mawe kumi na mawili ambayo walikuwa wameyachukua katikati ya Mto Yordani.
21 He told the Israelites, “When some day your children ask you their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’
Akawaambia Waisraeli, “Wazao wenu watakapowauliza baba zao siku zijazo wakisema, ‘Mawe haya maana yake ni nini?’
22 you can explain to them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
Basi waambieni, ‘Israeli ilivukia mahali pakavu katika Mto Yordani.’
23 For the Lord your God made the Jordan River dry up right in front of you so you all could cross, just as the Lord your God did at the Red Sea which he dried up so we could all cross.
Kwa maana Bwana Mungu wenu alikausha maji ya Yordani mbele yenu, hadi mlipomaliza kuvuka. Bwana Mungu wenu alifanya haya kwa Mto Yordani sawasawa na kile alichoifanyia Bahari ya Shamu wakati alipoikausha mbele yetu hadi tulipomaliza kuvuka.
24 He did this so everyone on earth would know how powerful the Lord is, and so that you might be in awe of the Lord your God forever.”
Alifanya hivi ili kwamba mataifa yote ya dunia yapate kujua kuwa mkono wa Bwana ni wenye nguvu, na ili kwamba kila wakati mpate kumcha Bwana Mungu wenu.”
