< Josoa 3 >
1 Dia nifoha maraina koa Josoa; ary ny olona dia niala tany Sitima ka nankany Jordana, dia Josoa sy ny Zanak’ Isiraely rehetra, ary nitoetra teo izy aloha vao nita.
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 Ary rehefa afaka hateloana, dia nandeha namaky ny toby ny mpifehy
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 ka nandidy ny olona hoe: Rehefa hitanareo ny fiaran’ ny faneken’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrareo ary ny Levita mpisorona mitondra azy, dia mialà amin’ izay itoeranareo, ka manaraha azy
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 (kanefa asio elanelany, tokony ho roa arivo hakiho, aminareo sy izy, fa aza manakaiky azy), mba ho fantatrareo ny lalana izay mety halehanareo; fa tsy mbola nalehanareo akory izao lalana izao.
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 Ary hoy Josoa tamin’ ny olona: Manamasìna ny tenanareo: fa rahampitso dia hanao fahagagana eo aminareo Jehovah.
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 Ary niteny tamin’ ny mpisorona Josoa ka nanao hoe: Ento ny fiaran’ ny fanekena, ka mità eo anoloan’ ny olona. Dia nitondra ny fiaran’ ny fanekena izy ka nandeha teo anoloan’ ny olona.
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 Ary hoy Jehovah tamin’ i Josoa: Anio no hanandratako anao eo imason’ ny Isiraely rehetra, hahafantarany fa tahaka ny nombako an’ i Mosesy no hombako anao koa.
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 Ary mandidia ny mpisorona izay mitondra ny fiaran’ ny fanekena, ka ataovy hoe: Rehefa mihatra amin’ ny moron’ i Jordana ianareo, dia mijanòna eo Jordana ihany.
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 Ary Josoa nanao tamin’ ny Zanak’ Isiraely hoe: Mankanesa atỳ, ka mihainoa ny tenin’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrareo.
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 Dia hoy Josoa: Izao no hahafantaranareo fa eo aminareo Andriamanitra velona, ka horoahiny eo alohanareo tokoa ny Kananita sy ny Hetita sy ny Hivita sy ny Perizita sy ny Girgasita sy ny Amorita ary ny Jebosita:
[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 Indro, ny fiaran’ ny faneken’ ny Tompon’ ny tany rehetra no mandroso eo alohanareo ho eo Jordana;
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 koa ankehitriny mangalà lehilahy roa ambin’ ny folo amin’ ny firenen’ Isiraely ho anareo, dia iray avy isam-pirenena;
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 ary raha vao mijanona eo amin’ ny rano Jordana ny faladian’ ny mpisorona izay mitondra ny fiaran’ ny faneken’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny tany rehetra, dia ho tapaka ny rano Jordana, dia ny rano izay midìna avy any ambony, ka hijanona ho toy ny antontan-javatra.
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 Ary raha niala tamin’ ny lainy hita an’ i Jordana ny olona, ary ny mpisorona nitondra ny fiaran’ ny fanekena eo alohan’ ny olona,
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 ka tonga teo Jordana izay nitondra ny fiara, ary naroboky ny mpisorona izay nitondra ny fiara tamin’ ny sisin-drano ny tongony (fa tondraka mihoatra ny morony rehetra Jordana mandritra ny fararano),
[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 dia nijanona ny rano izay nidina avy tany ambony ka tonga toy ny antontan-javatra terỳ lavitra erỳ, dia terỳ amin’ ny tanàna Adama, izay eo anilan’ i Zaretana; eny, tapaka tokoa ny rano izay nidina ho any amin’ ny ranomasin’ ny tani-hay, dia ny Ranomasin-tsira; ary ny olona dia nita tandrifin’ i 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 Ary ny mpisorona izay nitondra ny fiaran’ ny faneken’ i Jehovah dia nijoro tsara tamin’ ny tany maina teo afovoan’ i Jordana, ary ny Isiraely rehetra nandeha tamin’ ny tany maina mandra-pahatafitan’ izy rehetra an’ i Jordana.
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.