Joshua 4
1 Once the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua,
Watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka Yordani, Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua,
2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one per tribe,
“Chagueni wenyewe watu waume kumi na wawili, mmoja katika kila kabila.
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.’”
Wape agizo hilo: 'Chukueni mawe kumi na mbili kutoka katikati ya Yordani mahali wanaposimama makuhani katika nchi kavu, na wayalete na kuyaweka chini katika sehemu ambapo mtalala usiku wa leo.
4 So Joshua sent for the twelve men he had chosen, one from each tribe,
Kisha Yoshua akawaita wanaume kumi na wawili ambao aliwachagua kutoka katika makabila ya Israeli, 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.
Yoshua akawaambia, “Nendeni mbele za sanduku la Yahweh Mungu wenu katikati ya Yordani. Kila mmoja wenu achukue jiwe moja mabegani mwake, kulingana na hesabu ya makabila ya watu wa Israeli.
6 This will be a memorial among you so when your children one day ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’
Hii itakuwa ni ishara miongoni mwenu kwa ajili yenu wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza katika siku zijazo, 'Nini maana ya mawe haya kwenu?'
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.’”
Ndipo mtakapowaambia, 'Maji ya Yordani yalitengwa mbele ya sanduku la Yahweh. Lililpopitishwa katika Yordani, maji ya Yordani yalisimamishwa. Hivyo, 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.
Watu waisraeli walifanya kama Yoshua alivyowaagiza, na walichukua mawe kumi na mbili kutoka katikati ya Yordani, kama Yahweh alivyomwambia Yoshua, walipangwa sawa sawa na hesabu ya makabila ya watu wa Israeli. Waliyachukua mawe mpaka mahali walipolala na wakayaweka chini huko.
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.
Kisha Yoshua akayapanga mawe kumi na mbili katikati ya Yordani, katika sehemu ambapo ilisimama miguu ya makuhani waliolichukua sanduku la agano. Na kumbukumbu hiyo ipo hadi 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 waliolichukua sanduku walisimama katikati ya Yordani mpaka pale kila kitu ambacho Yahweh alimwamuru Yoshua kuwaambia watu kilipokamilika, sawa sawa na yote ambayo Musa alimwagiza Yoshua. Watu walifanya haraka na wakavuka.
11 Once all the people had crossed over, they watched as the Ark of the Lord was carried across by the priests.
Wakati watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka, sanduku la Yahweh pamoja na makuhani walivuka mbele za watu.
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.
Kabila la Rubeni, kabila la Gadi, na nusu ya kabila la Manase walipita kama jeshi mbele ya watu wa Israeli, kama ambavyo Musa alivyowaambia.
13 They numbered about 40,000 men, armed and ready for battle, crossed in the presence of the Lord to the plains of Jericho.
Yapata watu watu elfu arobaini walioandaliwa kwa vita walipita mbele za Yahweh, kwa ajili ya vita katika uwanda wa Yeriko.
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.
Katika siku hiyo Yahweh alimfanya Yoshua kuwa mkuu katika macho ya watu wote wa Israeli. Walimheshimu - kama walivyomheshimu Musa - siku zake zote.
15 The Lord had told Joshua,
Kisha Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua,
16 “Order the priests carrying the Ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”
“Waamuru makuhani wanaolibeba sanduku la ushuhuda watoke katika Yordani.”
17 So Joshua told the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
Hivyo Yoshua akawaamuru makuhani, '' pandeni mtoke 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.
Wakati makuhani wenye kulibeba sanduku la agano la Yahweh walitoka katikati ya Yordani, na nyayo za miguu yao ilikuwa imeinuliwa katika nchi kavu, kisha maji ya Yordani yalirudi katika sehemu zake na kujaa hadi katika kingo zake kama ilivyokuwa siku nne zilizopita.
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.
Katika siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kwanza, watu walikwea kutoka Yordani. Wakakaa huko Gilgali, mashariki mwa Yeriko.
20 Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan.
Mawe kumi na mawili ambayo yalichukuliwa katika Yordani, Yoshuua aliyasimamisha hapo Gilgali.
21 He told the Israelites, “When some day your children ask you their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’
Aliwaambia watu wa Israeli, “wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza baba zao katika wakai ujao, 'Mawe haya ni ya nini?'
22 you can explain to them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
Waambieni watoto wenu, 'Hapa ndipo Waisraeli walivuka Yordani katika nchi kavu.
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.
Yahweh Mungu wenu aliyakausha maji ya Yordani, mpaka hapo Yahweh Mungu wako aliyoyafanya katika bahari ya mianzi, ambayo aliikausha kwa ajili yetu ili tupite juu yakes,
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.”
ili kwamba watu wote wa nchi wajue kwamba mkono wa Yahweh ni nguvu, na kwamba mtamweshimu Yahweh Mungu wenu milele.''
