Joshua 3
1 Nʼisi ụtụtụ, Joshua na ụmụ Izrel niile hapụrụ Shitim bịaruo nʼakụkụ osimiri Jọdan, maa ụlọ ikwu nʼebe ahụ. Nʼebe a ka ha nọ chere tutu ruo mgbe ha ga-agafe.
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 Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị, ndịisi ụmụ Izrel gabigara jegharịa nʼetiti ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ,
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 nye ha iwu sị, “Mgbe unu hụrụ igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, ka ndị nchụaja, ụmụ Livayị, bulitere ya, unu onwe unu ga-esi nʼebe unu nọ bilie soro ha nʼazụ.
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 Ma a ga-enwe oke nʼetiti unu na ha, ihe dịka otu kilomita site nʼebe igbe ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ dị. Unu agaghị abịaru ya nso. Nke a bụ maka ị mara ụzọ unu ga-eso, nʼihi na unu esibeghị nʼụzọ a gaa ije mbụ.”
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 Joshua gwara ndị Izrel sị, “Doonụ onwe unu nsọ, nʼihi na echi ka Onyenwe anyị ga-eme oke ihe ebube dị iche iche nʼetiti unu.”
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 Joshua gwara ndị nchụaja sị ha, “Bulienụ igbe ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ, gabiga nʼihu ndị Izrel.” Ha buliri igbe ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ, bido ịga nʼihu ụmụ Izrel.
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 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Joshua sị, “Taa, ka m ga-amalite ime ka ị dị ukwuu nʼanya ụmụ Izrel niile, ka ha niile mata na dịka m si nọnyere Mosis, otu a ka m ga-esi nọnyere gị.
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 Ị ga-enye ndị nchụaja bụ ndị na-ebu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ iwu si, ‘Mgbe unu ruru nʼọnụ mmiri osimiri Jọdan, banyekwanụ gaa guzo nʼime osimiri ahụ.’”
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 Mgbe ahụ, Joshua gwara ụmụ Izrel niile sị, “Bịanụ nso, bịanụ nụrụ okwu niile nke Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu.
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 Otu a ka unu ga-esi mata nʼezie na Chineke dị ndụ nọ nʼetiti unu, unu ga-amatakwa na ọ ghaghị ịnapụ ndị Kenan, na ndị Het, na ndị Hiv, na ndị Periz, na ndị Gigash, na ndị Amọrait, na ndị Jebus ala ha nʼihu unu.
[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 Lee, igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, Onyenwe ụwa niile ga-agabiga nʼihu unu banye nʼime Jọdan.
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 Ugbu a sitenụ nʼebo Izrel niile họpụta ndị ikom iri na abụọ, site nʼebo ọbụla otu onye.
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 Ngwangwa ndị nchụaja bu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, Onyenwe ụwa niile zọnyere ụkwụ na Jọdan, mmiri Jọdan nke si nʼebe elu ya na-arịdata ga-akwụsị ịsọ, guzoro dịka mgbidi.”
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 Ya mere, mgbe ndị Izrel sitere nʼụlọ ikwu ha bilie njem ịgabiga osimiri Jọdan, ndị nchụaja bụ igbe ọgbụgba ndụ buuru ha ụzọ na-aga ha nʼihu.
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 Nʼoge owuwe ihe ubi ọbụla, osimiri Jọdan na-etoju etoju, sọjukwaa akụkụ ya niile. Ma ngwangwa ndị nchụaja bu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ a bịaruru nso zọnye ụkwụ ha nʼọnụ mmiri Jọdan,
[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 mmiri si nʼelu elu osimiri ahụ kwụsịrị ịsọ, ọ gara elu tụkọta onwe ya dịka mgbidi nʼebe dị anya, nʼobodo a na-akpọ Adam, nke dị nso obodo Zaretan. Ebe mmiri nke na-eruda na-asọbanye osimiri Araba, ya bụ, osimiri Nnu kwụsịrị ịsọ kpamkpam. Ya mere, ndị Izrel gabigara na ncherita ihu 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 Ndị nchụaja bu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị guzoro nʼala akọrọ nʼetiti Jọdan, Izrel niile gabigakwara tutu ruo mgbe mba ahụ niile gafesịrị nʼala akọrọ.
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.
