Jozue 3
1 Na tongo-tongo, Jozue mpe bana nyonso ya Isalaele babimaki wuta na Shitimi mpe bakendeki kino na Yordani epai wapi batongaki molako na bango liboso ete bakatisa.
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 Sima na mikolo misato, bakambi bakomaki kotambola kati na molako
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 mpo na kopesa bato mitindo oyo: — Soki bomoni Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe, Nzambe na bino, mpe Banganga-Nzambe oyo bazali Balevi komema yango, bolongwa na bisika oyo bozali mpe bolanda yango.
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 Bongo bokoyeba nzela nini bokoki kolanda mpo ete nanu botambola na nzela yango te. Kasi bozala mosika na Sanduku ya Boyokani, na bametele pene nkoto moko, bopusana pene na yango te.
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 Jozue alobaki na bato: — Bomibulisa, pamba te lobi, Yawe akosala makambo ya kokamwa kati na bino.
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 Jozue alobaki na Banganga-Nzambe: — Bomema Sanduku ya Boyokani mpe botambola liboso ya bato. Batombolaki yango mpe batambolaki liboso ya bato.
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 Yawe alobaki na Jozue: — Lelo, nakobanda kotombola yo na miso ya bana nyonso ya Isalaele mpo ete bayeba ete nazali mpe elongo na yo ndenge nazalaki elongo na Moyize.
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 Yebisa Banganga-Nzambe oyo bamemi Sanduku ya Boyokani: « Tango bokokoma pembeni ya mayi ya Yordani, botia makolo na bino kati na mayi mpe botelema wana. »
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 Jozue alobaki na bana ya Isalaele: — Bopusana awa mpe boyoka maloba ya Yawe, Nzambe na bino.
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 Bongo Jozue alobaki: — Ezali na nzela oyo nde bokoyeba solo ete Nzambe na bomoi azali elongo na bino mpe akobengana liboso na bino bato ya Kanana, ya Iti, ya Evi, ya Perizi, ya Girigazi, ya Amori mpe ya Yebusi.
[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 Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe ya mokili mobimba ekoleka liboso na bino kati na mayi ya Yordani.
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 Sik’oyo, bopona bato zomi na mibale kati na mabota ya Isalaele, moto moko mpo na libota moko.
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 Mpe tango kaka Banganga-Nzambe oyo bakomema Sanduku ya Yawe, Nkolo ya mokili mobimba, bakotia matambe ya makolo na bango kati na Yordani, mayi na yango ekokabwana na biteni mibale; mayi oyo ekowuta na ngambo ya likolo ekotelema lokola mir.
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 Boye tango bato bakobima na molako mpo na kokatisa Yordani, Banganga-Nzambe oyo bakomema Sanduku ya Boyokani bakotambola liboso na bango.
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 Nzokande, na tango ya kobuka milona, mayi ya Yordani etondaka makasi penza. Kasi tango kaka Banganga-Nzambe oyo bamemaki Sanduku bakomaki pembeni ya Yordani mpe batiaki matambe na bango kati na mayi,
[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 mayi oyo ezalaki kowuta na ngambo ya likolo etikaki kotiola mpe esalaki lokola mir moko ya monene, mpe etikaki nzela moko ya monene wuta na engumba Adamu, oyo ezalaki pembeni ya Tsaritani; bongo na ngambo mosusu, mayi oyo ezalaki kokita kino na ebale monene ya Araba, ebale monene ya Barozo, ya lubwaku ya Yordani, esilaki nyonso. Bato bakatisaki kino na Jeriko oyo ezalaki liboso na bango.
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 Banganga-Nzambe oyo bamemaki Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe bapikamaki na mabele ya kokawuka, na kati-kati ya mayi ya Yordani, wana bana nyonso ya Isalaele bazalaki koleka kino tango ekolo mobimba esilisaki kokatisa na mabele ya kokawuka.
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.
