Yosua 3
1 Yosua kple Israelviwo katã fɔ ŋdi kanya, eye wodze mɔ tso Sitim va ɖo Yɔdan tɔsisi la to le fiẽ me. Wotsi afi ma dɔ ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo hafi tso tɔsisi la.
Joshua [and all the other Israelis] got up early [the next] morning. They left [their camp at] Acacia and went [down] to the Jordan [River]. They camped there for two nights.
2 Le ŋkeke etɔ̃lia gbe la, kplɔlawo tsa le asaɖa la me,
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 eye woɖe gbeƒã na ameawo be, “Ne miekpɔ nunɔlawo, ame siwo nye Levitɔwo wokɔ Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ƒe nubablaɖaka la, ekema miho miadze wo yome.
telling the people, “You will see some of the priests, who are descendants of Levi, carrying the chest that contains the Ten Commandments that Yahweh our God gave us. When you see them, leave the places where you are camped and follow them.
4 Mieva afi sia kpɔ o, eya ta nunɔlawo afia afi si miayi la mi, gake migate ɖe nubablaɖaka la ŋu kplikplikpli o; mina dometsotso abe kilomita ɖeka ene nanɔ miawo kple nubablaɖaka la dome. Mikpɔ egbɔ be yewomete ɖe eŋu wu nenema o.”
You have not been (here/along this road) before, [so you must follow the priests]. But do not walk close to the chest. Stay (1,000 yards/900 meters) from the chest. [The chest is sacred, so (God will punish you/you will be punished) if you come close to it].”
5 Yosua gblɔ na ameawo be, “Mikɔ mia ɖokuiwo ŋuti, elabena etsɔ la, Yehowa le nukunu gã aɖe wɔ ge.”
Then Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies needed to make yourselves acceptable to Yahweh, because tomorrow he is going to do things for you that will amaze you!”
6 Yosua gblɔ na nunɔlawo le ŋdi me be, “Mikɔ nubablaɖaka la, eye miakplɔ mí atso Yɔdan tɔsisi lae!” Ale wodze mɔ.
Then Joshua said to the priests, “Carry the chest and go in front of the [rest of the] people.” So they lifted up the chest and went ahead.
7 Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be, “Made bubu gã aɖe ŋuwò egbe ale be, Israelviwo katã nanya be meli kpli wò abe ale si menɔ kple Mose ene.
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This is the day that I will begin to show all the Israeli people that you are a great leader. Then they will honor you, and know that I am with/helping you as I (was with/helped) Moses.
8 Gblɔ na nunɔla siwo kɔ nubablaɖaka la be woatɔ ɖe tɔsisi la nu.”
Tell the priests who are carrying the chest that contains the Ten Commandments, ‘When you come to the edge of the Jordan [River], stand in the water.’”
9 Yosua ƒo ƒu Israelviwo katã nu, eye wògblɔ na wo be, “Miva miase nya si Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la gblɔ.
Then Joshua said to the Israeli people, “Come close to me in order that you can listen to what Yahweh, your God, is saying.”
10 Egbe la, miadze sii kɔtɛe be Mawu gbagbe la le mia dome, eye wòanya Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Hivitɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Girgasitɔwo, Amoritɔwo, kple Yebusitɔwo le anyigba si xɔ ge míala fifia la dzi.
[When they came near], he said to them, “This is how you will know that God, who is all-powerful, is among you, and that he will expel for you the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Hiv, Periz, Girgash, Amor, and Jebus [who are now living in that land].
11 Mibu eŋu kpɔ! Mawu, ame si nye Aƒetɔ na xexea me katã la ƒe nubablaɖaka akplɔ mí atso tɔsisi lae!
Keep in mind that Yahweh is the one who rules over all the earth. The chest belongs to him, and it will be carried into the Jordan River ahead of you.
12 “Fifia la, mitia ame wuieve, ame ɖeka tso Israel ƒe to ɖe sia ɖe me hena dɔ tɔxɛ aɖe wɔwɔ.
So choose twelve men, [one from each] of the tribes of Israel, [and I will tell you later what I want them to do].
13 Ne nunɔla siwo kɔ Yehowa, anyigba la katã ƒe Aƒetɔ ƒe nubablaɖaka la, ka afɔ Yɔdan tɔsisi la me teti ko la, eƒe tsi siwo le sisim yi anyigbeme la nu atso, eye woazu gli.”
As for the priests who are carrying the chest, as soon as they put their feet into the Jordan [River], the water will stop flowing. It will pile up because I will cause it to be blocked upstream.”
14 Ale esi ameawo do le asaɖa la me yina be woatso Yɔdan tɔsisia la, nunɔla siwo kɔ nubablaɖaka la dze ŋgɔ na wo.
So when the [Israeli] people packed up their tents in order to cross the river, the priests who were carrying the chest containing the Ten Commandments went in front of them.
15 Azɔ Yɔdan tɔsisi la ɖɔ, gbagba le nuŋeɣi katã, gake esi nunɔla siwo kɔ nubablaɖaka la ɖo Yɔdan tɔsisi la nu, eye woƒe afɔ ka tɔsisi la to teti ko la,
[It was springtime], when people harvest their crops, [and] at that time the river floods over its banks. But as soon as the priests reached the edge of the river and stepped into the water,
16 dzigbetsi la dzudzɔ sisi, eye wòzu gli le adzɔge na wo le du aɖe si woyɔna be Adam la gbɔ le Zaretan lɔƒo. Ke tsi si nɔ sisim yina ɖe anyigbeme la si yi ɖe Araba alo Dzeƒu la me. Ale tsi la ƒe sisi tɔ keŋkeŋ, eye ameawo tso tɔsisi la ɖi go ɖe Yeriko kasa.
the water stopped flowing. The water piled up far [upstream], at a town named Adam, near Zarethan. The water stopped flowing down to the Dead Sea. So the people were able to cross the river near Jericho.
17 Nunɔla siwo kɔ Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka la tɔ ɖe anyigba ƒuƒui dzi le Yɔdan tɔsisi la titina, ale Israelviwo katã tso eme va se ɖe esime dukɔ blibo la tso tɔsisi la le anyigba ƒuƒu dzi.
The priests who were carrying the chest containing the Ten Commandments that Yahweh [had given them] stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan [riverbed], while the rest of the Israeli people crossed the river [as though they were crossing] dry ground.
