Yoshua 4
1 Wakati taifa lote lilipokwisha kuvuka Mto Yordani, Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2 “Chagua watu kumi na wawili miongoni mwa watu, kila kabila mtu mmoja,
“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
3 nawe uwaambie wachukue mawe kumi na mawili katikati ya Mto Yordani, palepale makuhani waliposimama, wayachukue na kuyaweka mahali mtakapokaa usiku huu wa leo.”
and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”
4 Basi Yoshua akawaita watu kumi na wawili ambao alikuwa amewachagua kutoka miongoni mwa Waisraeli, mtu mmoja kutoka kila kabila,
So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
5 naye akawaambia, “Mtangulie mbele ya Sanduku la Bwana Mungu wenu, mwende katikati ya Mto Yordani. Kila mmoja wenu atainua jiwe begani mwake, kufuatana na hesabu ya makabila ya Waisraeli,
and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,
6 kuwa kama ishara katikati yenu. Siku zijazo, wakati watoto wenu watakapowauliza, ‘Ni nini maana ya mawe haya?’
to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7 waambieni kwamba maji ya Mto Yordani yaliyokuwa yakitiririka yalitindika mbele ya Sanduku la Agano la Bwana. Wakati lilipovuka Yordani, maji ya Yordani yalitindika. Mawe haya yatakuwa kumbukumbu kwa watu wa Israeli milele.”
you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”
8 Hivyo Waisraeli wakafanya kama Yoshua alivyowaagiza. Wakachukua mawe kumi na mawili kutoka katikati ya Mto Yordani, kulingana na hesabu ya kabila za Waisraeli kama Bwana alivyomwambia Yoshua, nao wakayabeba hadi kambini mwao, mahali walipoyatua chini.
Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.
9 Yoshua akayasimamisha yale mawe kumi na mawili ambayo yalikuwa katikati ya Mto Yordani, mahali pale ambapo miguu ya makuhani waliobeba Sanduku la Agano iliposimama. Nayo yako huko mpaka leo.
Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
10 Makuhani waliobeba lile Sanduku walibakia wakiwa wamesimama katikati ya Mto Yordani mpaka kila kitu Bwana alichomwamuru Yoshua kilipokuwa kimefanywa na watu, sawasawa na vile Mose alivyokuwa amemwamuru Yoshua. Watu wakafanya haraka kuvuka,
Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,
11 na mara tu watu wote walipokwisha kuvuka, Sanduku la Bwana na makuhani wakavuka watu wakiwa wanatazama.
and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.
12 Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase wakavuka mbele ya Waisraeli, wakiwa wamevaa silaha, kama Mose alivyowaamuru.
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.
13 Kiasi cha watu 40,000 waliojiandaa kwa vita walivuka mbele za Bwana hadi nchi tambarare za Yeriko kwa ajili ya vita.
About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.
14 Siku ile Bwana akamtukuza Yoshua mbele ya Israeli yote, nao wakamheshimu siku zote za maisha yake, kama vile walivyomheshimu Mose.
On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
15 Basi Bwana akamwambia Yoshua,
Then the LORD said to Joshua,
16 “Waamuru hao makuhani wanaolibeba Sanduku la Ushuhuda, wapande kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani.”
“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17 Kwa hiyo Yoshua akawaamuru hao makuhani akisema, “Pandeni kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani.”
So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
18 Nao makuhani wakapanda kutoka ndani ya Mto Yordani wakilibeba hilo Sanduku la Agano la Bwana. Mara tu walipoiweka miguu yao penye kingo, nje ya mto, maji ya Yordani yakarudi kufurika kama ilivyokuwa kabla.
When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
19 Siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kwanza watu walipanda kutoka Yordani na kupiga kambi huko Gilgali, kwenye mpaka wa mashariki ya Yeriko.
On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
20 Naye Yoshua akayasimamisha huko Gilgali yale mawe kumi na mawili ambayo walikuwa wameyachukua katikati ya Mto Yordani.
And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
21 Akawaambia Waisraeli, “Wazao wenu watakapowauliza baba zao siku zijazo wakisema, ‘Mawe haya maana yake ni nini?’
Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’
22 Basi waambieni, ‘Israeli ilivukia mahali pakavu katika Mto Yordani.’
you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
23 Kwa maana Bwana Mungu wenu alikausha maji ya Yordani mbele yenu, hadi mlipomaliza kuvuka. Bwana Mungu wenu alifanya haya kwa Mto Yordani sawasawa na kile alichoifanyia Bahari ya Shamu wakati alipoikausha mbele yetu hadi tulipomaliza kuvuka.
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over.
24 Alifanya hivi ili kwamba mataifa yote ya dunia yapate kujua kuwa mkono wa Bwana ni wenye nguvu, na ili kwamba kila wakati mpate kumcha Bwana Mungu wenu.”
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”
