Aisraeli Awoloka Yorodani
1Yoswa ndi Aisraeli onse anadzuka mmamawa nanyamuka ku Sitimu kupita ku Yorodani. Iwo anagona kumeneko asanawoloke mtsinje wa Yorodaniwo. 2Patatha masiku atatu, atsogoleri anayendera misasa yonse, 3kulangiza anthu kuti, “Mukaona ansembe a Chilevi atanyamula Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova Mulungu wanu, inu munyamuke pa malo ano ndi kumalitsatira. 4Potero mudzadziwa njira yoti mudzere, popeza simunayendepo njira ino nʼkale lomwe. Koma musaliyandikire. Pakati pa inu ndi bokosilo pakhale mtunda pafupifupi kilomita imodzi.”
5Yoswa anawuza anthu kuti, “Dzipatuleni tsono pakuti mawa Yehova adzachita zodabwitsa pakati panu.”
6Mmawa mwake Yoswa ananena kwa ansembe kuti, “Nyamulani Bokosi la Chipangano muwoloke ndipo mukhale patsogolo pa anthu.” Motero iwo analinyamula ndi kupita patsogolo pawo.
7Ndipo Yehova anati kwa Yoswa, “Lero Ine ndidzayamba kukukweza pamaso pa Aisraeli onse kuti adziwe kuti ndili nawe monga ndinalili ndi Mose. 8Ansembe amene akunyamula Bokosi la Chipangano uwalamule kuti, ‘Mukafika ku mtsinje wa Yorodani mulowe mu mtsinjemo ndi kuyima mʼmphepete.’ ”
9Yoswa anati kwa Aisraeli, “Bwerani pano mudzamve mawu a Yehova Mulungu wanu. 10Umu ndi mmene mudzadziwira kuti Mulungu wamoyo ali pakati panu. Inu mukamadzapita patsogolo Iye adzathamangitsa Akanaani, Ahiti, Ahivi, Aperezi, Agirigasi, Aamori ndi Ayebusi. 11Pamenepo, Bokosi la Chipangano la Mbuye wa dziko lonse lapansi lidzawoloka mu Yorodani patsogolo panu. 12Musankhe amuna khumi ndi awiri kuchokera ku fuko lililonse la Israeli. 13Mapazi a ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Yehova, Mbuye wa dziko lapansi, akadzangoponda mu Yorodani, madzi ake onse ochokera ku mtunda adzaleka kuyenda ndipo adzayima ngati chipupa.”
14Tsono Aisraeli anachoka ku misasa yawo kukawoloka mtsinje wa Yorodani. Ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipangano ndiwo anatsogolera anthuwo. 15Nyengo imeneyi inali yokolola ndipo mtsinje wa Yorodani umakhala wodzaza. Komabe, ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipangano anafika ku Yorodani, ndipo atangoponda mʼmadzimo, 16madzi ochokera ku mtunda anasiya kuyenda. Madzi a Yorodani ochokera ku mtunda anawunjikana pamodzi ngati khoma lalitali pa mtunda wautali ndithu ndi mzinda wa Adama chapafupi ndi mzinda wa Zaretani. Madzi othamangira ku nyanja ya Araba, ngakhalenso amene amachokera kuti Nyanja ya Mchere amathera pamenepo. Choncho anthu anawoloka tsidya lina moyangʼanana ndi Yeriko. 17Ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova anali chiyimire powuma, pakati pa Yorodani pamene Aisraeli amawoloka mpaka gulu lonse linamaliza kuwoloka powuma.
Crossing the Jordan
1Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits3:4 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
6Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ ”
9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
