1
Ikawa, hapo hilo taifa zima lilipokuwa limekwisha vuka Yordani, ndipo Bwana akanena na Yoshua, akamwambia,
When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2
Haya, twaeni watu waume kumi na wawili katika hao watu, kila kabila mtu mmoja,
“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
3
kisha uwaamrishe, kusema, Twaeni mawe kumi na mawili, hapo katikati ya Yordani, mahali hapo miguu ya hao makuhani iliposimama imara, mwende nayo mawe hayo, mkayaweke nchi kambini, hapo mtakapolala usiku huu.
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 hao watu kumi na wawili, aliokuwa amewaweka tayari tangu hapo, katika wana wa Israeli, kila kabila mtu mmoja;
So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
5
naye Yoshua akawaambia, Haya, piteni ninyi mtangulie mbele ya sanduku la Bwana, Mungu wenu, mwende pale katikati ya Yordani, mkatwae kila mtu wenu jiwe moja begani mwake, kwa kadiri ya hesabu ya kabila za wana wa Israeli;
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
ili kwamba jambo hili liwe ishara kati yenu, hapo watoto wenu watakapowauliza ninyi katika siku zijazo, wakisema, Ni nini maana yake mawe haya?
to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7
Ndipo mtakapowaambia, Ni kwa sababu maji ya Yordani yalitindika mbele ya sanduku la agano la Bwana; hapo lilipovuka Yordani, hayo maji ya Yordani yalitindika; na mawe haya yatakuwa ni ukumbusho kwa wana 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
Basi wana wa Israeli walifanya vile vile kama Yoshua alivyowaamuru, nao wakatwaa mawe kumi na mawili pale katikati ya Yordani, kama Bwana alivyomwambia Yoshua, sawasawa na hesabu ya kabila za wana wa Israeli; wakayachukua wakavuka nayo hata mahali pale walipolala, nao wakayaweka nchi kuko huko.
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
Kisha Yoshua akapanga mawe kumi na mawili katikati ya Yordani, mahali pale miguu ya hao makuhani waliolichukua hilo sanduku la agano iliposimama; nayo yapo pale pale hata hivi 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
Kwa kuwa makuhani waliolichukua hilo sanduku walisimama katikati ya Yordani, hata mambo yote Bwana aliyomwamuru Yoshua awambie hao watu yakaisha, sawasawa na hayo yote Musa aliyokuwa amemwamuru Yoshua; kisha hao watu wakafanya haraka wakavuka.
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
Ikawa watu wote walipokuwa wamekwisha vuka kabisa, hilo sanduku la Bwana likavuka, na hao makuhani, mbele ya macho ya hao watu.
and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.
12
Na wana wa Reubeni, na wana wa Gadi na hiyo nusu ya kabila ya Manase, wakavuka, hali ya kuvaa silaha mbele ya wana wa Israeli, kama Musa alivyowaambia;
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.
13
walipata kama watu arobaini elfu hesabu yao, wenye kuvaa silaha tayari kwa vita, waliovuka mbele ya Bwana, waende vitani, hata nchi tambarare za Yeriko.
About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.
14
Siku ile Bwana alimtukuza Yoshua mbele ya macho ya Israeli wote; nao wakamcha, kama walivyokuwa wakimcha Musa, siku zote za maisha yake.
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
Kisha Bwana akanena na Yoshua, akamwambia,
Then the LORD said to Joshua,
16
Haya, uwaamuru makuhani, hao waliolichukua sanduku la ushuhuda, kwamba wakwee juu kutoka mle katika Yordani.
“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17
Basi Yoshua akawaamuru hao makuhani, akawaambia, Haya, kweeni mtoke Yordani.
So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
18
Ilikuwa, hapo hao makuhani waliolichukua sanduku la agano la Bwana walipokwea juu kutoka mle kati ya Yordani, na nyayo za miguu yao hao makuhani zilipoinuliwa na kutiwa katika nchi kavu, ndipo maji ya Yordani yaliporudi mahali pake, na kujaa na kuipita mipaka yake, kama yalivyokuwa hapo kwanza.
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
Na hao watu wakakwea kutoka Yordani siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kwanza, wakapiga kambi Gilgali, katika mpaka wa mashariki wa 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
Na yale mawe kumi na mawili waliyoyatwaa katikati ya Yordani Yoshua akayasimamisha Gilgali.
And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
21
Akawaambia wana wa Israeli, akasema, Watoto wenu watakapowauliza baba zao katika 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
Ndipo mtakapowaarifu watoto wenu mkisema, Israeli walivuka mto huu wa Yordani, kwa njia ya nchi kavu.
you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
23
Kwa sababu Bwana, Mungu wenu aliyakausha maji ya Yordani, mbele yenu, hata mlipokwisha kuvuka kama Bwana, Mungu wenu, alivyoitenda Bahari ya Shamu, aliyoikausha mbele yetu hata tulipokwisha 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
watu wote wa duniani wapate kujua mkono wa Bwana, ya kuwa ni mkono wenye uweza, ili wamche Bwana, Mungu wenu, milele.
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.”