Joshua 4
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had finished passing over the Jordan, That the Lord said unto Joshua, as followeth,
Kwathi isizwe sonke sesimchaphile uJodani, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
2 Take yourselves twelve men out of the people, one man each out of every tribe,
“Khetha amadoda alitshumi lambili phakathi kwabantu, yileyo imele isizwana sako-Israyeli,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take yourselves hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firmly, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging-place, where ye will 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 did Joshua call the twelve men, whom he had appointed out of the children of Israel, one man each out of every tribe:
Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wabiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewakhethe phakathi kwabako-Israyeli, eyodwa ivela esizwaneni.
5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take yourselves up every man one stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children 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 In order that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
ukuze kube luphawu phakathi kwenu. Kwelizayo nxa abantwana benu belibuza besithi, ‘Kanti amatshe la atshoni?’
7 That ye shall answer them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
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 children of Israel did so as Joshua had commanded; and they took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto 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 Twelve stones also did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, on the spot where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood: and they have remained there unto 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 But the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until every thing was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had 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 had finished passing over, that the ark of the Lord passed over with the priests in the presence of the people.
njalo bathi bonke sebechaphile, umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo labaphristi beza kwelinye icele abantu bekhangele.
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Menasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them:
Amadoda akoRubheni, akoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase achapha ehlomile phambi kwabako-Israyeli njengokuqondisa kukaMosi.
13 About forty thousand ready armed for war, did they pass over before the Lord unto 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 the Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had 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 the Lord said unto Joshua, as followeth,
UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.
“Laya abaphristi abathwele umtshokotsho woBufakazi bakhuphuke baphume eJodani.”
17 And Joshua 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 that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all its banks, as on the preceding days.
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 extreme eastern border of Jericho.
Ngelanga letshumi enyangeni yakuqala abantu basuka eJodani bayamisa izihonqo eGiligali emngceleni ongempumalanga yeJerikho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi ayethethwe phakathi kweJodani eGiligali.
21 And he said unto the children of Israel, thus, When your children shall ask in time to come their fathers, saying, What mean these stones?
Wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli wathi, “Kwelizayo nxa izizukulwane zenu zingabuza abazali bazo zisithi, ‘Amatshe la atshoni?’
22 Then shall ye let your children know, saying, On dry land did Israel pass over this Jordan;
Kumele libatshele ukuthi ‘Abako-Israyeli bachapha uJodani emhlabathini owomileyo!’
23 That the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone 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 In order that all the nations of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; in order that ye may fear the Lord your God all the days.
Wenza lokhu ukuze abantu bonke bomhlaba bakwazi ukuthi isandla sikaThixo silamandla lokuthi lihlale limesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
