Yoshua 3
1 Yoshua na Waisraeli wote wakaondoka asubuhi na mapema kutoka Shitimu, wakaenda mpaka Mto Yordani, ambako walipiga kambi kabla ya kuvuka.
And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they broke up from Shittim, and came close to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they passed over.
2 Baada ya siku tatu maafisa wakapita katika kambi yote,
And it came to pass at the end of three days, that the officers passed through the midst of the camp.
3 wakitoa maagizo kwa watu, wakiwaambia: “Mtakapoona Sanduku la Agano la Bwana Mungu wenu, likichukuliwa na Walawi ambao ndio makuhani, mtaondoka hapo mlipo na kulifuata.
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then shall ye break up from your place, and go after it.
4 Ndipo mtakapotambua njia mtakayoiendea, kwa kuwa hamjawahi kuipita kabla. Lakini msisogee karibu, bali kuwe na umbali wa dhiraa 2,000 kati yenu na Sanduku.”
Nevertheless there shall be a space between you and it, of about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, in order that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
5 Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia hao watu, “Jitakaseni, kwa kuwa kesho Bwana atatenda mambo ya kushangaza katikati yenu.”
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow will the Lord do wonders in the midst of you.
6 Yoshua akawaambia makuhani, “Liinueni Sanduku la Agano mkatangulie mbele ya watu.” Hivyo wakaliinua na kutangulia mbele yao.
And Joshua said unto the priests, as followeth, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Leo nitaanza kukutukuza machoni pa Israeli yote, ili wapate kujua kuwa niko pamoja nawe kama nilivyokuwa pamoja na Mose.
And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to make thee great in the eyes of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee.
8 Uwaambie makuhani wanaochukua Sanduku la Agano, ‘Mnapofika kwenye ukingo wa maji ya Yordani, nendeni mkasimame ndani ya mto.’”
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, ye shall stand still in the Jordan.
9 Yoshua akawaambia Waisraeli, “Njooni hapa msikilize maneno ya Bwana Mungu wenu.
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Approach hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.
10 Hivi ndivyo mtakavyojua ya kuwa Mungu aliye hai yupo katikati yenu, na kwamba kwa hakika atawafukuza mbele yenu hao Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wahivi, Waperizi, Wagirgashi, Waamori na Wayebusi.
And Joshua said, Hereby shall ye know that the living God is in the midst of you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Emorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Tazameni, Sanduku la Agano la Bwana wa dunia yote litaingia ndani ya Mto Yordani likiwa limewatangulia.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into the Jordan.
12 Sasa basi, chagueni watu kumi na wawili kutoka makabila ya Israeli, mtu mmoja kutoka kila kabila.
And now take yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, one man each out of every tribe.
13 Mara tu nyayo za makuhani walichukualo Sanduku la Bwana, Bwana wa dunia yote, zitakapokanyaga ndani ya Mto Yordani, maji hayo yatiririkayo kutoka juu yatatindika na kusimama kama chuguu.”
And it shall come to pass, that as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, namely, the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand up as a wall.
14 Basi, watu walipovunja kambi ili kuvuka Yordani, makuhani wakiwa wamebeba Sanduku la Agano waliwatangulia.
And it came to pass, when the people broke up from their tents, to pass over the Jordan, and the priests the bearers of the ark of the covenant were before the people;
15 Wakati huu ulikuwa wakati wa mavuno, nao Mto Yordani ulikuwa umefurika hadi kwenye kingo zake. Ilikuwa kawaida ya Yordani kufurika nyakati zote za mavuno. Mara tu makuhani wale waliokuwa wamebeba Sanduku la Agano walipofika mtoni na nyayo zao kuzama ndani ya yale maji,
And as they that bore the ark were come up to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, [the Jordan, however, had overflowed all its banks all the time of harvest, ]
16 maji hayo yaliyotiririka kutoka upande wa juu yaliacha kutiririka yakasimama kama chuguu mbali kabisa nao, kwenye mji ulioitwa Adamu kwenye eneo la Sarethani, wakati yale maji yaliyokuwa yanatiririka kuingia kwenye Bahari ya Araba (yaani Bahari ya Chumvi), yalitindika kabisa. Hivyo watu wakavuka kukabili Yeriko.
That the waters which came down from above stood still and rose up as a wall, very far from the city Adam, which is beside Zarethan; and those that ran down toward the sea of the plain, the salt sea, failed, were cut off; and the people passed over opposite to Jericho.
17 Wale makuhani waliobeba Sanduku la Agano la Bwana, wakasimama imara mahali pakavu katikati ya Mto Yordani, wakati Waisraeli wote wakiwa wanapita hadi taifa lote likaisha kuvuka mahali pakavu.
And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people had finished passing over the Jordan.
