< Joshua 4 >

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had quite passed over Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
Watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka Yordani, Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua,
2 Take you twelve men from the people, from every tribe a man,
“Chagueni wenyewe watu waume kumi na wawili, mmoja katika kila kabila.
3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge this night.
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 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man:
Kisha Yoshua akawaita wanaume kumi na wawili ambao aliwachagua kutoka katika makabila ya Israeli, mmoja kutoka kila kabila.
5 And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children 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 That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye by these stones?
Hii itakuwa ni ishara miongoni mwenu kwa ajili yenu wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza katika siku zijazo, 'Nini maana ya mawe haya kwenu?'
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel for ever.
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 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of Jordan, as the the LORD commanded Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
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 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there to this 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 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
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 And it came to pass, when all the people had quite passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests in the presence of the people.
Wakati watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka, sanduku la Yahweh pamoja na makuhani walivuka mbele za watu.
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses directed them:
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 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD to battle, 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 magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
Katika siku hiyo Yahweh alimfanya Yoshua kuwa mkuu katika macho ya watu wote wa Israeli. Walimheshimu - kama walivyomheshimu Musa - siku zake zote.
15 And the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
Kisha Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
“Waamuru makuhani wanaolibeba sanduku la ushuhuda watoke katika Yordani.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
Hivyo Yoshua akawaamuru makuhani, '' pandeni mtoke Yordani.”
18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the midst of Jordan, [and] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up upon the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all its banks, as [they did] 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 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
Katika siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kwanza, watu walikwea kutoka Yordani. Wakakaa huko Gilgali, mashariki mwa Yeriko.
20 And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
Mawe kumi na mawili ambayo yalichukuliwa katika Yordani, Yoshuua aliyasimamisha hapo Gilgali.
21 And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What [mean] these stones?
Aliwaambia watu wa Israeli, “wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza baba zao katika wakai ujao, 'Mawe haya ni ya nini?'
22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
Waambieni watoto wenu, 'Hapa ndipo Waisraeli walivuka Yordani katika nchi kavu.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye had passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had gone over:
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 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD that it [is] mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
ili kwamba watu wote wa nchi wajue kwamba mkono wa Yahweh ni nguvu, na kwamba mtamweshimu Yahweh Mungu wenu milele.''

< Joshua 4 >