Joshua 4
1 And it comes to pass, when all the nation has completed to pass over the Jordan, that YHWH speaks to Joshua, saying,
Kwathi isizwe sonke sesimchaphile uJodani, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
2 “Take for yourselves twelve men out of the people, one man—one man out of a tribe;
“Khetha amadoda alitshumi lambili phakathi kwabantu, yileyo imele isizwana sako-Israyeli,
3 and command them, saying, Take up for yourselves from this [place], from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and you have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which you lodge tonight.”
ubusubatshela ukuthi bathathe amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani kusukela lapho okwakumi khona abaphristi, beseliwathwala liwabeke endaweni elizalala kuyo lamuhla ebusuku.”
4 And Joshua calls to the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man—one man out of a tribe;
Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wabiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewakhethe phakathi kwabako-Israyeli, eyodwa ivela esizwaneni.
5 and Joshua says to them, “Pass over before the Ark of your God YHWH into the midst of the Jordan, and each of you lift up one stone on 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 so that this is a sign in your midst when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?
ukuze kube luphawu phakathi kwenu. Kwelizayo nxa abantwana benu belibuza besithi, ‘Kanti amatshe la atshoni?’
7 That you have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH; in its passing over into the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel for all time.”
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 do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as YHWH has spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them to the lodging-place, and place them 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 even the twelve stones Joshua has raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, 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 And the priests carrying the Ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan until the completion of the whole thing which YHWH commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people hurry and pass over.
Abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho baqhubeka bemi phakathi kweJodani abantu baze baqeda konke uThixo ayekulaye uJoshuwa, njengokuqondiswa kukaJoshuwa nguMosi. Abantu bedlula ngokuphangisa
11 And it comes to pass, when all the people have completed to pass over, that the Ark of YHWH passes 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 of the tribe of Manasseh, pass over, by fifties, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them;
Amadoda akoRubheni, akoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase achapha ehlomile phambi kwabako-Israyeli njengokuqondisa kukaMosi.
13 about forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before YHWH for 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 YHWH has made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they fear 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 YHWH speaks to Joshua, saying,
UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
16 “Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.”
“Laya abaphristi abathwele umtshokotsho woBufakazi bakhuphuke baphume eJodani.”
17 And Joshua commands the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
Ngakho uJoshuwa walaya abaphristi wathi, “Phumani phakathi kweJodani.”
18 And it comes to pass, in the coming up of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH out of the midst of the Jordan—the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground—and the waters of the Jordan return to their place, and go over all its 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 And the people have come up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamp in Gilgal, in the extremity east of Jericho;
Ngelanga letshumi enyangeni yakuqala abantu basuka eJodani bayamisa izihonqo eGiligali emngceleni ongempumalanga yeJerikho.
20 and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, Joshua has raised up in Gilgal.
UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi ayethethwe phakathi kweJodani eGiligali.
21 And he speaks to the sons of Israel, saying, “When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones?
Wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli wathi, “Kwelizayo nxa izizukulwane zenu zingabuza abazali bazo zisithi, ‘Amatshe la atshoni?’
22 Then you have caused your sons to know, saying, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry land;
Kumele libatshele ukuthi ‘Abako-Israyeli bachapha uJodani emhlabathini owomileyo!’
23 because your God YHWH dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, until your passing over, as your God YHWH did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence until our passing 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 so that all the people of the land know the hand of YHWH—that it [is] strong, so that you have feared your God YHWH [for] all the days.”
Wenza lokhu ukuze abantu bonke bomhlaba bakwazi ukuthi isandla sikaThixo silamandla lokuthi lihlale limesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
