UJoshuwa 4
1 Kwasekusithi lapho isizwe sonke sesiqede ukuchapha iJordani, iNkosi yakhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:
When all the people crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh said to Joshua,
2 Zithathele amadoda alitshumi lambili ebantwini, indoda ibenye kuleso lalesosizwe,
“Choose twelve men for yourselves from among the people, one man from each 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.
Give them this command: 'Take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing on the dry ground, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you will spend the night tonight.'”
4 UJoshuwa wasebiza amadoda alitshumi lambili ayewalungisile ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, indoda yabanye kuleso lalesosizwe.
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the tribes of Israel, 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,
Joshua said to them, “Go over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel.
6 ukuze lokhu kube yisiboniso phakathi kwenu. Nxa abantwana benu bebuza kusasa besithi: Ayini lamatshe kini?
This will be a sign in your midst for you when your children ask in days to come, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
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.
Then you will say to them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones will be 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 just as Joshua commanded, and they picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh said to Joshua. They set the stones up according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel. They carried the stones with them, over to the place where they camped and they set them down there.
9 UJoshuwa wasemisa amatshe alitshumi lambili phakathi kweJordani endaweni lapho inyawo zabapristi ababethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano ezazimi khona. Njalo asekhona lapho kuze kube lamuhla.
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River, in the place where the feet of the priests that carried the ark of the covenant stood. The memorial is there to this 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 that carried the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was completed, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried and they crossed over.
11 Kwasekusithi bonke abantu sebeqedile ukuchapha, umtshokotsho weNkosi wachapha, labapristi phambi kwabantu.
When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over before the people.
12 Njalo abantwana bakoRubeni labantwana bakoGadi lengxenye yesizwe sakoManase bachapha behlomile phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, njengokubatshela kukaMozisi.
The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh passed before the people of Israel formed up as an army, just as Moses said to them.
13 Phose izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane behlomele impi, bachapha phambi kweNkosi ukuya empini, emagcekeni eJeriko.
About forty thousand men equipped for war passed before Yahweh, for battle on the plains of Jericho.
14 Ngalolosuku iNkosi yamkhulisa uJoshuwa emehlweni kaIsrayeli wonke, njalo bamesaba njengalokhu babemesaba uMozisi insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
On that day Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel. They honored him—just as they honored Moses— all his days.
15 INkosi yasikhuluma kuJoshuwa isithi:
Then Yahweh spoke to Joshua,
16 Laya abapristi abathwala umtshokotsho wobufakazi ukuthi bakhuphuke eJordani.
“Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”
17 UJoshuwa wasebalaya abapristi esithi: Khuphukani eJordani.
So, Joshua commanded 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.
When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet were lifted up out on dry ground, then the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed its banks, just as they were four days before.
19 Labantu bakhuphuka besuka eJordani ngolwetshumi lwenyanga yokuqala, bamisa inkamba eGiligali ephethelweni lempumalanga yeJeriko.
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. They stayed in Gilgal, east of Jericho.
20 Lalawomatshe alitshumi lambili abawathatha eJordani uJoshuwa wawamisa eGiligali.
The twelve stones that they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
21 Wakhuluma kubantwana bakoIsrayeli esithi: Nxa abantwana benu bebuza kusasa kuboyise besithi: Ayini lamatshe?
He said to the people of Israel, “When your descendants ask their fathers in times to come, 'What are these stones?'
22 Lizabazisa-ke abantwana benu lisithi: UIsrayeli wayichapha le iJordani emhlabathini owomileyo.
Tell your children, 'This is where Israel crossed over 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,
Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you, until you had crossed over, just as Yahweh your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
24 ukuze zonke izizwe zomhlaba zazi isandla seNkosi, ukuthi silamandla, ukuze liyesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu zonke izinsuku.
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is mighty, and that you will honor Yahweh your God forever.”
