1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”
4So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
8So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
14That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
15Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16“Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”
17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
18And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.
19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”
1Anthu onse atatha kuwoloka Yorodani, Yehova anati kwa Yoswa, 2“Sankha amuna khumi ndi awiri, mmodzi pa fuko lililonse. 3Tsono uwalamule kuti, ‘Tengani miyala khumi ndi iwiri pakati penipeni pa mtsinje wa Yorodani, pamalo pamene ansembe anayimirirapo. Miyalayo muwoloke nayo ndi kudzayitula pamalo pamene mukagone usiku uno.’ ”
4Choncho Yoswa anayitana amuna khumi ndi awiri amene anawasankha aja kuchokera pakati pa Aisraeli, mmodzi pa fuko lililonse, 5ndipo anawawuza kuti, “Lowani pakati pa mtsinje wa Yorodani, patsogolo pa Bokosi la Yehova Mulungu wanu. Ndipo aliyense wa inu atenge mwala pa phewa lake, monga mwa chiwerengero cha mafuko a Aisraeli, 6kuti ikhale chizindikiro kwa inu. Mʼtsogolo muno ana anu akamadzakufunsani kuti, ‘Kodi miyala iyi ikutanthauza chiyani?’ 7Muzidzawawuza kuti, ‘Madzi a Yorodani analeka kuyenda pamene Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova linkawoloka mtsinjewo. Miyala iyi idzakhala chikumbutso kwa anthu a Israeli kwa muyaya.’ ”
8Aisraeli anachitadi monga Yoswa anawalamulira. Iwo ananyamula miyala khumi ndi iwiri kuchokera pakati pa Yorodani, fuko lililonse la Israeli mwala wake, monga Yehova analamulira Yoswa. Miyalayo anapita nayo ku misasa yawo nakayikhazika kumeneko. 9Yoswa anayimika miyala khumi ndi iwiri imene inali pakati pa Yorodani pamalo pamene ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipangano anayimapo. Ndipo miyalayo ili pamalo pomwepo mpaka lero lino.
10Ansembe onyamula Bokosi lija anayimirirabe pakati pa Yorodani mpaka zonse zimene Yehova analamulira Yoswa kuti awuze anthu zinatha. Zimenezi zinali monga momwe Mose anamufotokozera Yoswa. Tsono anthu anawoloka mtsinjewo mofulumira. 11Anthu atatha kuwoloka, ansembe anatsogolera anthuwo atanyamula Bokosi la Yehova. 12Anthu a fuko la Rubeni, Gadi ndi theka la fuko la Manase anawoloka patsogolo pa Aisraeli ali ndi zida, monga momwe Mose anawalamulira. 13Asilikali pafupifupi 40,000 anawoloka napita kukayima mʼchigwa cha Yeriko kukonzekera nkhondo.
14Zimene Yehova anachita tsiku limeneli zinapatsa anthu mtima wolemekeza Yoswa. Ndipo anamulemekeza masiku onse a moyo wake, monga momwe analemekezera Mose.
15Kenaka Yehova anati kwa Yoswa, 16“Lamula ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipanganowo kuti atuluke mu Yorodani.”
17Choncho Yoswa anawalamuladi ansembe aja kuti atuluke mu Yorodani muja.
18Ansembe onyamula Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova aja atangotuluka mu mtsinje muja nʼkuponda powuma, madzi a mu Yorodani anayambanso kuyenda ngati poyamba mpaka kumasefukira.
19Aisraeli anawoloka Yorodani tsiku lakhumi la mwezi woyamba ndipo anakamanga misasa yawo ku Giligala mbali ya kummawa kwa Yeriko. 20Ku Giligala, Yoswa anayimikako miyala khumi ndi iwiri imene anayitenga mu Yorodani ija. 21Ndipo iye anati kwa Aisraeli, “Mʼtsogolo muno pamene adzukulu anu adzafunsa makolo awo kuti, ‘Kodi miyala iyi ikutanthauza chiyani?’ 22Muzidzawawuza kuti, ‘Aisraeli anawoloka Yorodani pansi pali powuma.’ 23Pakuti Yehova Mulungu wanu ndiye anawumitsa Yorodani pamaso panu mpaka inu mutawoloka. Yehova Mulungu wanu anaphwetsa madzi a Yorodani monga mmene anachitira ndi Nyanja Yofiira mpaka ife tinawoloka powuma. 24Iye anachita zimenezi kuti anthu onse pa dziko lapansi adziwe kuti dzanja la Yehova ndi lamphamvu, ndi kuti inu muziopa Yehova Mulungu wanu masiku onse.”
