< Yoshua 3 >

1 Yoshua aliamka asubuhi na mapema, nao walisafiri kutoka Shitimu. Walifika Yordani, yeye na watu wote wa Israeli, na wakapiga kambi hapo kabla hawajavuka ng'ambo.
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and departed from Sattin; and they came as far as Jordan, and lodged there before they crossed over.
2 Baada ya siku tatu, maafisa walienda katika kambi, wakawaagiza watu,
And it came to pass after three days, [that] the scribes went through the camp;
3 “Mtakapoona sanduku la agano la Yahweh Mungu wenu, na makuhani kutoka miongoni mwa Walawi wamelibeba, ni lazima muondoke sehemu hii na kulifuata.
and they charged the people, saying, When ye shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God, and our priests and the Levites bearing it, ye shall depart from your places, and ye shall go after it.
4 Lazima kuwe na umbali wa dhiraa elfu moja kati yenu na sanduku. Msilisogelee karibu, ili muweze kuiona njia ya kupitia, kwakuwa hamjawahi kupita njia hii kabla.
But let there be a distance between you and it; ye shall stand as much as two thousand cubits [from it]. Do not draw nigh to it, that ye may know the way which ye are to go; for ye have not gone the way before.
5 Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Jitakaseni ninyi wenyewe keso, kwa kuwa Yahweh atafanya maajabu miongoni mwenu.”
And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
6 Kisha Yoshua akawaambia makuhani, “Chukueni sanduku la agano, na kulipitisha mbele za watu.” Hivyo, wakalichukua sanduku la agano na wakaenda mbele za watu.
And Joshua said to the priests, Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and go before the people: and the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and went before the people.
7 Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua, “Siku hii nitakufanya kuwa mtu mkubwa katika macho ya Waisraeli wote. Watajua kuwa kama nilivyokuwa na Musa ndivyo nitakavyokuwa pamoja na wewe.
And the Lord said to Joshua, This day do I begin to exalt thee before all the children of Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so will I also be with thee.
8 Utawaamuru makuhani ambao hulibeba sanduku la agano, 'Mtakapofika katika ukingo wa maji ya Yordani, ni lazima msimame katika Mto Yordani.'”
And now charge the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, As soon as ye shall enter on a part of the water of Jordan, then ye shall stand in Jordan.
9 Kisha Yoshu akawaambia watu wa Israeli, “Njooni hapa na msikilize maneno ya Yahweh Mungu wenu.
And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither, and hearken to the word of the Lord our God.
10 Kwa hili mtajua kwamba Mungu aliye hai yuko miongoni mwenu na kwamba atawaondosha mbele yenu Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wahivi, Waperizi, Wagrigashi, Waamori na Wayebusi.
Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, and will utterly destroy from before our face the Chananite, and the Chettite and Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Amorite, and the Gergesite, and the Jebusite.
11 Tazama! Sanduku la agano la Bwana wa nchi yote litavuka mbele yenu katika Yordani.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over Jordan.
12 Sasa chagueni wanaume kumi na wawili kutoka katika makabila ya Israeli, mmoja katika kila kabila.
Choose for yourselves twelve men of the sons of Israel, one of each tribe.
13 Wakati nyayo za miguu ya makuhani walichukualo sanduku la Yahweh, Bwana wa nchi yote, zitakapogusa maji ya Yordani, maji ya Yordani yatatindika, na hata maji yatiririkayo kutoka juu yatakoma kutiririka nayo yatasimama kama chuguu.
And it shall come to pass, when the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth rest in the water of Jordan, the water of Jordan [below] shall fail, and the water coming down from above shall stop.
14 Hivyo wakati watu walipotoka ili kuvuka Yordani, makuhani waliobeba sanduku la agano waende mbele ya watu.
And the people removed from their tents to cross over Jordan, and the priests bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord before the people.
15 Mara tu wale walichukuao sanduku wakiisha kufika Yordani, na miguu ya watu wale waliobeba sanduku itakapotiwa katika ukingo wa maji (maana sasa Yordani hujaa hadi katika kingo zake zote katika kipindi chote cha mavuno),
And when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered upon Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord were dipped in part of the water of Jordan; (now Jordan overflowed all its banks about the time of wheat harvest: )
16 maji yote yaliyotiririka kutoka juu yalisimama katika chuguu kimoja. Maji yakakoma kutiririka kutoka katika umbali mrefu. Maji yaliacha kutiririka kutoka Adam, mji ulio karibu na Zarethani, hadi bahari ya Negevu, Bahari ya Chumvi. Na watu walivuka ng'ambo karibu na Yeriko.
then the waters that came down from above stopped; there stood one solid heap very far off, as far as the region of Kariathiarim, and the lower part came down to the sea of Araba, the salt sea, till it completely failed; and the people stood opposite Jericho.
17 Makuhani waliolibeba sanduku la agano la Yahweh walisimama katika nchi kavu katikati ya Yordani mpaka watu wote wa Israeli walipokwisha kuvuka katika nchi kavu.
And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry land in the midst of Jordan; and all the children of Israel went through on dry land, until all the people had completely gone over Jordan.

< Yoshua 3 >