Yosua 4
1 Esi ameawo katã tso tɔsisi la dedie la, Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua bena,
And when they had crossed over, the Lord said to Joshua:
2 “Tia ame wuieve tso Israel dukɔ la me, ame ɖeka tso to ɖe sia ɖe me,
“Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,
3 eye nàgblɔ na wo be: woatsɔ kpe wuieve tso teƒe si tututu nunɔlaawo tsi tsitre ɖo le Yɔdan tɔsisi la titina; woatsɔ kpe wuieve siawo ayi ɖe teƒe si miaƒu asaɖa anyi ɖo le zã sia me.”
and instruct them so that they may take from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood still, twelve very hard stones, which you shall station in the place of the camp, where you will pitch your tents this night.”
4 Ale Yosua yɔ ame wuieve siwo wòtia tso Israel ƒe to ɖe sia ɖe me,
And Joshua called twelve men, whom he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,
5 eye wògblɔ na wo be, “Miyi Yɔdan tɔsisi la titina, afi si nubablaɖaka la le; mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe natsɔ kpe ɖeka ɖe abɔta tso afi ma. Kpeawo ƒe xexlẽme nanɔ wuieve, ɖeka ɖe to wuieveawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe nu.
and he said to them: “Go before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each one carry from there one stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the sons of Israel,
6 Mitsɔ wo tu ŋkuɖodzikpe ale be ne mia viwo abia mi gbe aɖe gbe be, ‘Nu kae ŋkuɖodzikpe sia le fiafiam mahã?’ la,
so that it may be a sign among you. And when your sons will ask you, tomorrow, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7 miagblɔ na wo be, Yɔdan tɔsisi la dzudzɔ sisi le nubablaɖaka la ŋgɔ. Esi wòtso Yɔdan tɔsisia la, tsi la ƒe sisi nu tso. Kpe siawo anye ŋkuɖodzikpe na Israelviwo tegbetegbe.”
you shall respond to them: ‘The waters of the Jordan failed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when the ark crossed over it. For this reason, these stones were placed as a monument for the sons of Israel, even forever.’”
8 Israelviwo wɔ abe ale si Yosua ɖo na wo ene pɛpɛpɛ. Wokɔ kpe wuieveawo tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la titina, kpe ɖeka ɖe to ɖeka ɖe sia ɖe nu, abe ale si Yehowa ɖo na Yosua ene tututu. Wokɔ kpeawo yi afi si woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖo le zã ma me hewɔ ŋkuɖodzikpe aɖe ɖe afi ma.
Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.
9 Yosua hã kɔ kpe wuieve tu ŋkuɖodzikpe bubu ɖe Yɔdan tɔsisi la titina, le teƒe si nunɔlawo tsi tsitre ɖo. Ŋkuɖodzikpe sia gali egbegbe.
Similarly, Joshua positioned another twelve stones in the middle of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant; and they are there, even to the present day.
10 Nunɔla siwo kɔ nubablaɖaka la, tsi tsitre ɖe tɔsisi la titina va se ɖe esime wowɔ ɖe ɖoɖo siwo katã Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua to Mose dzi la dzi. Ameawo ɖe abla zɔ tɔʋu ƒuƒui la me.
Now the priests who were carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was accomplished which the Lord had instructed Joshua to speak to the people and which Moses had said to him. And the people hurried, and they passed over.
11 Esi ameawo katã tso tɔsisi la la vɔ la, nunɔlawo kɔ nubablaɖaka la tso tɔʋu la me va wo gbɔ le godzi, eye wodze ŋgɔ na wo.
And when they had all crossed, the ark of the Lord also crossed, and the priests advanced before the people.
12 Ŋutsu siwo tso Ruben kple Gad ƒe towo me kple Manase ƒe to afã me la bla akpa na aʋawɔwɔ, eye wodze ŋgɔ na Israelviwo abe ale si Mose ɖo na wo ene.
Likewise, the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh advanced with weapons before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had instructed them.
13 Aʋawɔlawo abe ŋutsu akpe blaene ene tso eme le Yehowa ŋkume yi gbedzi le Yeriko lɔƒo.
And forty thousand fighters, by companies and divisions, advanced through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.
14 Gbe ma gbe nye ŋkeke gã aɖe na Yosua, elabena Yehowa de bubu gã aɖe eŋu le Israelviwo katã ŋkume. Ale wobui, eye wovɔ̃e abe Mose ene le eƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me.
In that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they would fear him, just as they had feared Moses while he lived.
15 Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be
And he said to him,
16 wòaɖe gbe na nunɔla siwo kɔ nubablaɖaka la be woado go le Yɔdan tɔsisi la me.
“Command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to ascend from the Jordan.”
17 Yosua wɔ ɖe Yehowa ƒe nya sia dzi,
And he commanded them, saying, “Ascend from the Jordan.”
18 eye esi nunɔlawo ɖo afɔ tɔsisi la ƒe go kemɛ dzi ko la, tɔsisi la gade asi sisi me, eye wògagbagba ɖe eƒe gowo dzi abe tsã ene.
And when those who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord had ascended, and they began to step on dry soil, the waters returned to their channel, and they flowed as they usually did before.
19 Nukunu sia va eme le ɣleti gbãtɔ ƒe ŋkeke ewolia dzi. Gbe ma gbe la, Israel dukɔ blibo la tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la, eye woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Gilgal le Yeriko ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo.
Now the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, opposite the eastern portion of the city of Jericho.
20 Wokɔ kpe wuieveawo tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la me tu ŋkuɖodzikpe ɖe afi ma.
Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.
21 Yosua gaɖe nu si ŋkuɖodzikpe la le fiafiam la gɔme na Israelviwo hegblɔ be, “Ne mia viwo va bia mi gbe aɖe gbe be nu ka ta kpe siawo le afi sia ɖo, eye nu ka fiam wole hã la,
And he said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons will question their fathers, tomorrow, and they will say to them, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
22 miagblɔ na wo be kpe siawo le ŋku ɖom nukunu gã si dzɔ esime Israel dukɔ la zɔ ƒuƒuiƒe hetso Yɔdan tɔsisi la dzi!
you shall teach them, and you shall say: ‘Israel passed over this Jordan, through the dry channel.’
23 Migblɔ ale si Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la na tɔsisi la mie le mía ŋkume, eye wòna wònɔ miemie nenema va se ɖe esime mí katã míetso tɔsisi la! Nenema tututue Yehowa wɔ na mi esi mieva ɖo Ƒu Dzĩ la to ƒe blaene nye esi va yi!
For the Lord your God dried up its waters in your sight, until you crossed over, just as he had done before, at the Red Sea, which he dried up until we crossed over.
24 Ewɔ esia ale be, xexemedukɔwo katã nanya be Yehowae nye Mawu, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la, ale be mí katã míavɔ̃e tegbee.”
So may all the peoples of the earth learn of the very powerful hand of the Lord. So may you also fear the Lord your God for all time.”
