< Joshua 3 >

1 Rũciinĩ tene Joshua na andũ othe a Isiraeli makiuma hau Shitimu, magĩthiĩ nginya Jorodani, na matanaringa mũrĩmo ũcio ũngĩ magĩikara hau.
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 Thuutha wa mĩthenya ĩtatũ-rĩ, anene magĩthiĩ kũndũ guothe gĩikaro-inĩ kĩu,
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 magĩatha andũ, makĩmeera atĩrĩ: “Rĩrĩa mũrĩona ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova Ngai wanyu, na muone athĩnjĩri-Ngai, o acio Alawii, marĩkuuĩte-rĩ, mumagare muume harĩa mũrĩ na mũrĩrũmĩrĩre.
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 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩguo mũrĩmenya njĩra ĩrĩa mũrĩĩgera, nĩgũkorwo mũtirĩ mwagera njĩra ĩyo rĩngĩ. No rĩrĩ, gatagatĩ-inĩ kanyu na ithandũkũ rĩu, nĩhagĩe itĩĩna ta rĩa mĩkono ngiri igĩrĩ; mũtikarĩkuhĩrĩrie.”
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 Nake Joshua akĩĩra andũ acio atĩrĩ, “Mwĩtheriei, nĩgũkorwo rũciũ Jehova nĩageeka maũndũ ma magegania gatagatĩ-inĩ kanyu.”
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 Nake Joshua akĩĩra athĩnjĩri-Ngai atĩrĩ, “Oyai ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro mũthiĩ mbere ya andũ aya.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩrĩoya, magĩthiĩ mbere yao.
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 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Ũmũthĩ nĩngwambĩrĩria gũgũtũũgĩria maitho-inĩ ma andũ othe a Isiraeli, nĩguo mamenye atĩ ndĩrĩkoragwo hamwe nawe o ta ũrĩa ndaarĩ hamwe na Musa.
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 Ĩra athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa megũkuua ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro atĩrĩ: ‘Mwakinya hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, mũthiĩ mũrũgame Jorodani thĩinĩ.’”
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 Nake Joshua akĩĩra andũ a Isiraeli atĩrĩ, “Ũkai haha mũigue ciugo cia Jehova Ngai wanyu.
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 Ũhoro ũyũ nĩguo ũrĩmũmenyithia atĩ Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo arĩ hamwe na inyuĩ, na atĩ hatirĩ nganja nĩakamũingatĩra Akaanani, na Ahiti, na Ahivi, na Aperizi, na Agirigashi, na Aamori, na Ajebusi.
[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 Atĩrĩrĩ, ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro rĩa Mwathani wa thĩ yothe nĩrĩkũringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani mbere yanyu.
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 Na rĩrĩ, thuurai andũ ikũmi na eerĩ kuuma mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ ya Isiraeli, o mũhĩrĩga mũndũ ũmwe.
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 Na rĩrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa makuuĩte ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova, o we Mwathani wa thĩ yothe, marĩtoboka thĩinĩ wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani-rĩ, maaĩ maruo marĩa maratherera maikũrũkĩte nĩmarĩtinĩka na meyũmbe hĩba.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa andũ moimagarire makiuma kambĩ nĩguo maringe Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa maakuuĩte ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro magĩthiĩ mbere yao.
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 Na rĩrĩ, nĩgũkorwo Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani nĩrũiyũraga mũno rũgakĩra hũgũrũrũ ciaguo hĩndĩ ya magetha. No rĩrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa maakuuĩte ithandũkũ rĩu maakinyire Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, namo magũrũ mao magĩtoboka hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia rũũĩ,
[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 maaĩ marĩa moimaga mwena wa na igũrũ wa rũũĩ magĩtiga gũtherera maikũrũkĩte; makĩĩyũmba hĩba kũndũ kũraya mũno nginya itũũra-inĩ rĩetagwo Adamu rĩrĩa rĩ gũkuhĩ na Zarethani, namo maaĩ marĩa maathereraga marorete Iria-inĩ rĩa Araba (nĩrĩo Iria rĩa Cumbĩ) magĩtinĩka biũ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ makĩringa mangʼetheire Jeriko.
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 Athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa maakuuĩte ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova makĩrũgama mehaandĩte wega kũndũ kũmũ gatagatĩ ka Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, nao andũ a Isiraeli othe makĩhĩtũka makĩringagĩra thĩ nyũmũ o nginya rĩrĩa rũrĩrĩ rũu ruothe rwarĩkirie kũringa rũũĩ rũu rwa Jorodani.
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.

< Joshua 3 >