UJoshuwa 4
1 Kwasekusithi lapho isizwe sonke sesiqede ukuchapha iJordani, iNkosi yakhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:
Once the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua,
2 Zithathele amadoda alitshumi lambili ebantwini, indoda ibenye kuleso lalesosizwe,
“Choose twelve men from the people, one per tribe,
3 uwalaye uthi: Zithatheleni okuvela lapha phakathi kweJordani kuleyondawo, lapho obekumi khona inyawo zabapristi ziqinile, amatshe alitshumi lambili, liwathwale lichaphe lawo, liwabeke endaweni yokulala lapho elizalala khona ebusuku.
and tell them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing. Then carry them and set them down at the place where you will camp tonight.’”
4 UJoshuwa wasebiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewalungisile ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, indoda yabanye kuleso lalesosizwe.
So Joshua sent for the twelve men he had chosen, one from each tribe,
5 UJoshuwa wasesithi kuwo: Dlulani phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, lingene phakathi kweJordani, lizithathele, lowo lalowo, ilitshe elilodwa, aletshate ehlombe, njengokwenani lezizwe zabantwana bakoIsrayeli,
and told them, “Go back into the middle of the Jordan, right in front of the Ark of the Agreement of the Lord your God, and each of you pick up a stone and carry it on your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
6 ukuze lokhu kube yisiboniso phakathi kwenu. Nxa abantwana benu bebuza kusasa besithi: Ayini lamatshe kini?
This will be a memorial among you so when your children one day ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’
7 Lizabatshela-ke: Ngoba amanzi eJordani aqunywa phambi komtshotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi. Lapho uchapha iJordani, amanzi eJordani aqunywa. Ngakho lamatshe azakuba yisikhumbuzo ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli kuze kube nininini.
you can tell them, ‘It's about the time the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Agreement went across. When it crossed over the water stopped. These stones are a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”
8 Labantwana bakoIsrayeli benza njalo njengokulaya kukaJoshuwa, bathatha amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi kweJordani, njengokutsho kweNkosi kuJoshuwa, ngokwenani lezizwe zabantwana bakoIsrayeli; bawathwala bachapha lawo, baya endaweni lapho abalala khona, bawabeka khona.
The people of Israel did as Joshua told them. The men picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped overnight and placed the stones there, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
9 UJoshuwa wasemisa amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi kweJordani endaweni lapho inyawo zabapristi ababethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano ezazimi khona. Njalo asekhona lapho kuze kube lamuhla.
Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan right where the priests carrying the Ark of the Agreement had stood, and they are still there to this very day.
10 Ngoba abapristi ababethwele umtshokotsho bema phakathi kweJordani kwaze kwaphela yonke into iNkosi eyayimlaye yona uJoshuwa ukuyitshela abantu, njengakho konke uMozisi ayekulaye uJoshuwa. Labantu baphangisa bachapha.
The priests carrying the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was done just as the Lord had told the people to do, all that Moses had told Joshua to do. The people crossed over quickly.
11 Kwasekusithi bonke abantu sebeqedile ukuchapha, umtshokotsho weNkosi wachapha, labapristi phambi kwabantu.
Once all the people had crossed over, they watched as the Ark of the Lord was carried across by the priests.
12 Njalo abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase bachapha behlomile phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, njengokubatshela kukaMozisi.
The armed men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed at the head of the people of Israel, as Moses had stipulated.
13 Phose izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane behlomele impi, bachapha phambi kweNkosi ukuya empini, emagcekeni eJeriko.
They numbered about 40,000 men, armed and ready for battle, crossed in the presence of the Lord to the plains of Jericho.
14 Ngalolosuku iNkosi yamkhulisa uJoshuwa emehlweni kaIsrayeli wonke, njalo bamesaba njengalokhu babemesaba uMozisi insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
On that day the Lord confirmed Joshua as great leader in the sight of all the Israelites, and they were in awe of him just as they had been in awe of Moses.
15 INkosi yasikhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:
The Lord had told Joshua,
16 Laya abapristi abathwala umtshokotsho wobufakazi ukuthi bakhuphuke eJordani.
“Order the priests carrying the Ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”
17 UJoshuwa wasebalaya abapristi esithi: Khuphukani eJordani.
So Joshua told the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
18 Kwasekusithi lapho abapristi ababethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi sebekhuphukile phakathi kweJordani, lengaphansi yenyawo zabapristi isiphakanyiselwe emhlabathini owomileyo, amanzi eJordani abuyela endaweni yawo, ahamba njengamandulo aphuphuma enkunjini zonke zayo.
The priests came up out of the Jordan carrying the Ark of the Agreement, and as soon as their feet touched dry ground the waters of the Jordan returned to where they had been, overflowing its banks as before.
19 Labantu bakhuphuka besuka eJordani ngolwetshumi lwenyanga yokuqala, bamisa inkamba eGiligali ephethelweni lempumalanga yeJeriko.
The people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal, to the east of Jericho, on the tenth day of the first month.
20 Lalawomatshe alitshumi lambili abawathatha eJordani uJoshuwa wawamisa eGiligali.
Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan.
21 Wakhuluma kubantwana bakoIsrayeli esithi: Nxa abantwana benu bebuza kusasa kuboyise besithi: Ayini lamatshe?
He told the Israelites, “When some day your children ask you their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’
22 Lizabazisa-ke abantwana benu lisithi: UIsrayeli wayichapha le iJordani emhlabathini owomileyo.
you can explain to them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
23 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yenza amanzi eJordani atsha phambi kwenu laze lachapha, njengokwenza kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu kuLwandle oluBomvu eyalomisa phambi kwethu saze sachapha,
For the Lord your God made the Jordan River dry up right in front of you so you all could cross, just as the Lord your God did at the Red Sea which he dried up so we could all cross.
24 ukuze zonke izizwe zomhlaba zazi isandla seNkosi, ukuthi silamandla, ukuze liyesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu zonke izinsuku.
He did this so everyone on earth would know how powerful the Lord is, and so that you might be in awe of the Lord your God forever.”
