Joshua 3

1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.

1 وَفِي الصَّبَاحِ التَّالِي ارْتَحَلَ يَشُوعُ وَبَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ شِطِّيمَ، وَأَتَوْا إِلَى نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ حَيْثُ بَاتُوا هُنَاكَ قَبْلَ اجْتِيَازِهِ.

2 After three days the officers went through the camp

2 وَبَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ أَخَذَ الْقَادَةُ يَتَجَوَّلُونَ فِي وَسَطِ الْمُخَيَّمِ،

3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

3 آمِرِينَ الشَّعْبَ: «عِنْدَمَا تُشَاهِدُونَ تَابُوتَ عَهْدِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ مَحْمُولاً عَلَى أَكْتَافِ الْكَهَنَةِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ، ارْتَحِلُوا مِنْ أَمَاكِنِكُمْ وَاتْبَعُوهُ.

4 But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”

4 لِكَيْ تَعْرِفُوا الطَّرِيقَ الَّتِي تَسْلُكُونَهَا لأَنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَمُرُّوا بِها مِنْ قَبْلُ. وَلْيَكُنْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ مَسَافَةٌ نَحْوُ أَلْفَيْ ذِرَاعٍ (أَيْ نَحْوَ كِيلُومِتْرٍ) وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تَقْرُبُوا مِنْهُ».

5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

5 وَقَالَ يَشُوعُ لِلشَّعْبِ: «قَدِّسُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يُجْرِي غَداً عَجَائِبَ فِي وَسَطِكُمْ».

6 And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.

6 ثُمَّ قَالَ يَشُوعُ لِلْكَهَنَةِ: «احْمِلُوا تَابُوتَ الْعَهْدِ وَتَقَدَّمُوا أَمَامَ الشَّعْبِ». فَحَمَلُوا التَّابُوتَ وَسَارُوا فِي طَلِيعَةِ الشَّعْبِ.

7 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

7 فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِيَشُوعَ: «الْيَوْمَ أَبْدَأُ فِي تَعْظِيمِكَ فِي عُيُونِ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ جَمِيعاً، لِيُدْرِكُوا أَنَّنِي مَعَكَ كَمَا كُنْتُ مَعَ مُوسَى.

8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”

8 أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَأْمُرِ الْكَهَنَةَ حَامِلِي تَابُوتِ الْعَهْدِ قَائِلاً: عِنْدَمَا تَبْلُغُونَ ضَفَّةَ مِيَاهِ الأُرْدُنِّ تَوَقَّفُوا فِيهَا».

9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

9 وَقَالَ يَشُوعُ لأَبْنَاءِ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «تَعَالَوْا إِلَى هُنَا وَاسْمَعُوا كَلامَ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ.

10 He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.

10 بِهَذَا تَعْرِفُونَ عَنْ يَقِينٍ أَنَّ اللهَ الْحَيَّ مَوْجُودٌ بَيْنَكُمْ، وَأَنَّهُ يَطْرُدُ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمُ الْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ وَالْحِثِّيِّينَ وَالْحِوِّيِّينَ وَالْفِرِزِّيِّينَ وَالْجِرْجَاشِيِّينَ وَالأَمُورِيِّينَ وَالْيَبُوسِيِّينَ.

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.

11 فَهَا تَابُوتُ عَهْدِ سَيِّدِ كُلِّ الأَرْضِ يَجْتَازُ أَمَامَكُمْ فِي نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ.

12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

12 فَاخْتَارُوا الآنَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَسْبَاطِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَاحِداً مِنْ كُلِّ سِبْطٍ.

13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

13 وَعِنْدَمَا تَسْتَقِرُّ بُطُونُ أَقْدَامِ الْكَهَنَةِ، حَامِلِي تَابُوتِ عَهْدِ الرَّبِّ سَيِّدِ الأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا، فِي قَاعِ مَجْرَى نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ، تَتَوَقَّفُ مِيَاهُهُ الْمُنْحَدِرَةُ مِنَ الْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ، عَنِ الْجَرَيَانِ وَتَتَجَمَّعُ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا كَجِدَارٍ».

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.

14 وَحِينَ ارْتَحَلَ الشَّعْبُ مِنْ خِيَامِهِمْ لِيَعْبُرُوا نَهْرَ الأُرْدُنِّ، وَفِي طَلِيعَتِهِمِ الْكَهَنَةُ حَامِلُو تَابُوتِ الْعَهْدِ،

15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,

15 كَانَ نَهْرُ الأُرْدُنِّ يَفِيضُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ ضِفَافِهِ، لِحُلُولِ مَوْسِمِ الْحَصَادِ. وَمَا إِنْ أَقْبَلَ الْكَهَنَةُ حَامِلُو التَّابُوتِ عَلَى مِيَاهِ الأُرْدُنِّ وَغَسَلُوا أَرْجُلَهُمْ فِي ضَفَّةِ الْمِيَاهِ،

16 the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

16 حَتَّى تَوَقَّفَتِ الْمِيَاهُ الْمُنْحَدِرَةُ مِنَ الْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ عَنِ الْجَرَيَانِ، وَأَخَذَتْ تَتَرَاكَمُ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا كَمَا لَوْ كَانَتْ مَحْجُوزَةً وَرَاءَ سَدٍّ، بَعِيداً جِدّاً عَنْ مَدِينَةِ أَدَامَ الْمُجَاوِرَةِ لِبَلْدَةِ صَرْتَانَ. أَمَّا الْمِيَاهُ الْمُنْصَبَّةُ فِي الْبَحْرِ الْمَيِّتِ فَقَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ تَمَاماً عَنْهُ. وَهَكَذَا عَبَرَ الشَّعْبُ قُبَالَةَ أَرِيحَا.

17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

17 فَوَقَفَ الْكَهَنَةُ حَامِلُو تَابُوتِ عَهْدِ الرَّبِّ فِي وَسَطِ مَجْرَى نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ رَيْثَمَا تَمَّ عُبُورُ جَمِيعِ الشَّعْبِ فَوْقَ أَرْضِهِ الْيَابِسَةِ نَحْوَ الضَّفَّةِ الأُخْرَى.