< UJoshuwa 4 >

1 Kwathi isizwe sonke sesimchaphile uJodani, uThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
And it came to pass, when all the people had quite passed over Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
2 “Khetha amadoda alitshumi lambili phakathi kwabantu, yileyo imele isizwana sako-Israyeli,
Take you twelve men from the people, from every tribe a man,
3 ubusubatshela ukuthi bathathe amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani kusukela lapho okwakumi khona abaphristi, beseliwathwala liwabeke endaweni elizalala kuyo lamuhla ebusuku.”
And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge this night.
4 Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wabiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewakhethe phakathi kwabako-Israyeli, eyodwa ivela esizwaneni.
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man:
5 Wasesithi kuwo, “Hambani phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu liye phakathi laphakathi kweJodani. Omunye lomunye wenu kumele athwale ilitshe ehlombe lakhe, kusiya ngenani lezizwana zako-Israyeli,
And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 ukuze kube luphawu phakathi kwenu. Kwelizayo nxa abantwana benu belibuza besithi, ‘Kanti amatshe la atshoni?’
That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye by these stones?
7 Libatshele ukuthi ukugeleza kweJodani kwamiswa phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo. Kwathi lapho umtshokotsho uchapha iJodani, amanzi omfula uJodani ehlukaniswa. Amatshe la azakuba yisukhumbuzo ebantwini bako-Israyeli nini lanini.”
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel for ever.
8 Ngakho-ke abako-Israyeli benza njengokulaya kukaJoshuwa. Bathatha amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi laphakathi kweJodani, kusiya ngenani lezizwana zako-Israyeli, njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo; basebewathwalela ezihonqweni zabo lapho abafika bawabeka khona phansi.
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of Jordan, as the the LORD commanded Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi lambili ayekade ephakathi laphakathi kweJodani, endaweni lapho abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano abafika bema khona njalo lokhu ekhonapho kuze kube lamhlanje.
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there to this day.
10 Abaphristi ababethwele umtshokotsho baqhubeka bemi phakathi kweJodani abantu baze baqeda konke uThixo ayekulaye uJoshuwa, njengokuqondiswa kukaJoshuwa nguMosi. Abantu bedlula ngokuphangisa
For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 njalo bathi bonke sebechaphile, umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo labaphristi beza kwelinye icele abantu bekhangele.
And it came to pass, when all the people had quite passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests in the presence of the people.
12 Amadoda akoRubheni, akoGadi lengxenye yesizwana sakoManase achapha ehlomile phambi kwabako-Israyeli njengokuqondisa kukaMosi.
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses directed them:
13 Abantu abaphose bafike kunkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane ababehlomele impi bachapha phambi kukaThixo besiya emagcekeni eJerikho ukuyakulwa impi.
About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 Ngalelolanga uThixo waphakamisa uJoshuwa emehlweni abo bonke abako-Israyeli; njalo bamhlonipha okwempilo yakhe yonke, njengoba babehloniphe uMosi.
On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa,
And the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 “Laya abaphristi abathwele umtshokotsho woBufakazi bakhuphuke baphume eJodani.”
Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Ngakho uJoshuwa walaya abaphristi wathi, “Phumani phakathi kweJodani.”
Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 Abaphristi baphuma emfuleni bethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo. Bonela ukunyathela umhlabathi owomileyo amanzi eJodani ahle abuyela endaweni yawo, ageleza okomfula ogcweleyo njengakuqala.
And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the midst of Jordan, [and] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up upon the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all its banks, as [they did] before.
19 Ngelanga letshumi enyangeni yakuqala abantu basuka eJodani bayamisa izihonqo eGiligali emngceleni ongempumalanga yeJerikho.
And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 UJoshuwa wamisa amatshe alitshumi ayethethwe phakathi kweJodani eGiligali.
And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
21 Wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli wathi, “Kwelizayo nxa izizukulwane zenu zingabuza abazali bazo zisithi, ‘Amatshe la atshoni?’
And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What [mean] these stones?
22 Kumele libatshele ukuthi ‘Abako-Israyeli bachapha uJodani emhlabathini owomileyo!’
Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu womisa umfula uJodani phambi kwenu laze lachapha. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wenza kuJodani lokho akwenza oLwandle Olubomvu aze alomise phambi kwethu saze sachapha sonke.
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye had passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had gone over:
24 Wenza lokhu ukuze abantu bonke bomhlaba bakwazi ukuthi isandla sikaThixo silamandla lokuthi lihlale limesaba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD that it [is] mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

< UJoshuwa 4 >