Israel Crosses the Jordan River
1 Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the Jordan River and camped there that night. 2 Two days later their leaders went through the camp, 3-4 shouting, “When you see some of the priests carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it is time to cross to the other side. You've never been there before, and you won't know the way, unless you follow the chest. But don't get too close! Stay about a kilometer back.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Make yourselves acceptable to worship the Lord, because he is going to do some amazing things for us.”
6 Then Joshua turned to the priests and said, “Take the chest and cross the Jordan River ahead of us.” So the priests picked up the chest by its carrying poles and went on ahead.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “Beginning today I will show the people that you are their leader, and they will know that I am helping you as I helped Moses. 8 Now, tell the priests who are carrying the chest to go a little way into the river and stand there.”
9 Joshua spoke to the people:
Come here and listen to what the Lord our God said he will do! 10 The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites control the land on the other side of the river. But the living God will be with you and will force them out of the land when you attack. And now, God is going to prove that he's powerful enough to force them out. 11-13 Just watch the sacred chest that belongs to the Lord, the ruler of the whole earth. As soon as the priests carrying the chest step into the Jordan, the water will stop flowing and pile up as if someone had built a dam across the river.
The Lord has also said that each of the twelve tribes should choose one man to represent it.
14 The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front, 15 until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime. But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, 16-17 the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.
Ovaisrael mave kondo onḓonḓu Jordan
1 Josua wa penduka omuhuka omunene. Eye nOvaisrael va za mozondanda za Sitim, ave i kOjordan nave katona ozondanda mbo ngunda ave hiye i konda. 2 Kombunda yomayuva yetatu ovanane va tuurunga ozondanda 3 nave raere otjiwaṋa ave tja: “Eṋe tjimwa munu ovapristeri amave tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, tooreye oviṋa vyeṋu nu mu tji kongorere. 4 Otji mamu tjiwa kutja mamu twara ondjira ine, tjinga amu hi na mwa twarere ondjira ndji rutenga. Amu ya popezu nOtjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe, nungwari kareye ohumburuko na tjo, okirometa mangara imwe.”
5 Josua wa raera otjiwaṋa ama tja: “Riyapurireye Muhona orondu muhuka Muhona ma tjiti ovihimise mokati keṋu.” 6 Josua wa raera nai kovapristeri: “Tooreye Otjipwikiro tjomerikutiropamwe mu kayende komurungu wotjiwaṋa.” Nowo va tjita otja punga e ve raera.
7 Muhona wa tja ku Josua: “Ami ndino me ku tjiti, u rire omurumendu omutjiukwa kOvaisrael avehe, ve tjiwe tjiri kutja ami mbi ri puna ove otja tji mba ri puna Moses. 8 Rakiza nai kovapristeri mbu mave tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe: ‘Tji mamu ya ponḓonḓu Jordan kurameye momeva popezu nomukuro.’ ”
9 Tjazumba Josua wa raera otjiwaṋa a tja: “Indjeye mba nu mu puratene komambo wa Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu. 10 Ndinondi eṋe mamu tjiwa kutja Muhona, Ndjambi omunamuinyo, u ri mokati keṋu; eye ma ramba Ovakanaan nOvahetite nOvahevi nOvaperesi nOvagirgasi nOvaamori nOvajebusi komurungu weṋu. 11 Ihi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona wehi arihe ndi, matji kondo Jordan komurungu weṋu. 12 Nambano toororeye ovarumendu omurongo na vevari, umwe momuhoko auhe wa Israel. 13 Nu imba ovapristeri mbu mave tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona wehi arihe tji mave twa ozombaze zawo momeva, Jordan otji i hi nokupupa, nomeva ngu maye pupu otji maye kurama poṋa pemwe tjimuna otjikere tjonḓonḓu.”
14 Indwi rwa ri oruveze rwomakondero wovikokotwa, nonḓonḓu ye urire komikuro. Otjiwaṋa otji tja za mozondanda okukakonda Jordan, novapristeri va hongora amave tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe. 15 Nowo tji ve ya komukuro wa Jordan nave twa ozombaze zawo momeva, 16 omeva otji ya kurama tjimuna otjikere nga kokure tjinene kotjirongo tja Adam, tji tja ri popezu na Saretan. Omeva ngaa e pupire mOmuronga wOmongwa ya kondikana oparukaze, notjiwaṋa otji tja kondera onḓonḓu popezu na Jeriko. 17 Ovapristeri mbaa ve tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona va kurama mehi nda kaha mokati ka Jordan, Ovaisrael avehe ngunda amave kondo mehi ekukutu, nga otjiwaṋa atjihe tji tja mana okukonda onḓonḓu.
