< Joshua 3 >
1 Joshua rose up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They lodged there before they passed over.
Yoshua na Waisraeli wote wakaondoka asubuhi na mapema kutoka Shitimu, wakaenda mpaka Mto Yordani, ambako walipiga kambi kabla ya kuvuka.
2 It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;
Baada ya siku tatu maafisa wakapita katika kambi yote,
3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it.
wakitoa maagizo kwa watu, wakiwaambia: “Mtakapoona Sanduku la Agano la Bwana Mungu wenu, likichukuliwa na Walawi ambao ndio makuhani, mtaondoka hapo mlipo na kulifuata.
4 However, keep a distance of about two thousand nine hundred fifty-three feet between yourselves and the ark. Do not come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before."
Ndipo mtakapotambua njia mtakayoiendea, kwa kuwa hamjawahi kuipita kabla. Lakini msisogee karibu, bali kuwe na umbali wa dhiraa 2,000 kati yenu na Sanduku.”
5 Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonders among you."
Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia hao watu, “Jitakaseni, kwa kuwa kesho Bwana atatenda mambo ya kushangaza katikati yenu.”
6 Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people." They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
Yoshua akawaambia makuhani, “Liinueni Sanduku la Agano mkatangulie mbele ya watu.” Hivyo wakaliinua na kutangulia mbele yao.
7 Jehovah said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Leo nitaanza kukutukuza machoni pa Israeli yote, ili wapate kujua kuwa niko pamoja nawe kama nilivyokuwa pamoja na Mose.
8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"
Uwaambie makuhani wanaochukua Sanduku la Agano, ‘Mnapofika kwenye ukingo wa maji ya Yordani, nendeni mkasimame ndani ya mto.’”
9 Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of Jehovah your God."
Yoshua akawaambia Waisraeli, “Njooni hapa msikilize maneno ya Bwana Mungu wenu.
10 Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hethite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
Hivi ndivyo mtakavyojua ya kuwa Mungu aliye hai yupo katikati yenu, na kwamba kwa hakika atawafukuza mbele yenu hao Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wahivi, Waperizi, Wagirgashi, Waamori na Wayebusi.
11 Look, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.
Tazameni, Sanduku la Agano la Bwana wa dunia yote litaingia ndani ya Mto Yordani likiwa limewatangulia.
12 Now therefore take twelve men from the children of Israel, one man for each tribe.
Sasa basi, chagueni watu kumi na wawili kutoka makabila ya Israeli, mtu mmoja kutoka kila kabila.
13 It shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."
Mara tu nyayo za makuhani walichukualo Sanduku la Bwana, Bwana wa dunia yote, zitakapokanyaga ndani ya Mto Yordani, maji hayo yatiririkayo kutoka juu yatatindika na kusimama kama chuguu.”
14 It happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people,
Basi, watu walipovunja kambi ili kuvuka Yordani, makuhani wakiwa wamebeba Sanduku la Agano waliwatangulia.
15 and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
Wakati huu ulikuwa wakati wa mavuno, nao Mto Yordani ulikuwa umefurika hadi kwenye kingo zake. Ilikuwa kawaida ya Yordani kufurika nyakati zote za mavuno. Mara tu makuhani wale waliokuwa wamebeba Sanduku la Agano walipofika mtoni na nyayo zao kuzama ndani ya yale maji,
16 that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over right against Jericho.
maji hayo yaliyotiririka kutoka upande wa juu yaliacha kutiririka yakasimama kama chuguu mbali kabisa nao, kwenye mji ulioitwa Adamu kwenye eneo la Sarethani, wakati yale maji yaliyokuwa yanatiririka kuingia kwenye Bahari ya Araba (yaani Bahari ya Chumvi), yalitindika kabisa. Hivyo watu wakavuka kukabili Yeriko.
17 The priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.
Wale makuhani waliobeba Sanduku la Agano la Bwana, wakasimama imara mahali pakavu katikati ya Mto Yordani, wakati Waisraeli wote wakiwa wanapita hadi taifa lote likaisha kuvuka mahali pakavu.