Joshua 1 Early the next morning, Joshua moved with all the Israelites from Shittim to the 若苏厄清早起来,同所有的以色列子民由史廷出发,来到了约但河,住在那里,等候过河。 2 Three days later the officers went through the camp 过了三天,官长走遍全营, 3 and issued these instructions to the people:"When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD, your God, which the levitical priests will carry, you must also break camp and follow it, 吩咐百姓说:"你们一看见上主你们天主的约柜,和抬约柜的肋未人,你们便由你们所住的地方起身,跟着它走, 4 that you may know the way to take, for you have not gone over this road before. But let there be a space of two thousand cubits between you and the ark. Do not come nearer to it." 好使你们知道你们应走的路,因为这条路你们从来没有走过。但在你们与约柜之间,应相隔二千肘,不可走近约柜。" 5 Joshua also said to the people,"Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will perform wonders among you." 若苏厄对百姓说:"你们应该自洁,因为上主明天要在你们中间行神迹。 6 And he directed the priests to take up the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people; and they did so. 若苏厄又吩咐司祭说:"你们抬起约柜,在百姓前过河。"他们遂抬起约柜,走在百姓前面。 7 Then the LORD said to Joshua,"Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. 上主对若苏厄说:"今天我要开始在众以色列眼前显扬你,使他们知道,我要与你同在,有如我过去我与梅瑟同在一样。 8 Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when they reach the edge of the waters." 你吩咐抬约柜的司祭说:"你们一到约但河的水边,就停在约但河边。" 9 So Joshua said to the Israelites,"Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God." 若苏厄又吩咐以色列子民说:"你们前来静听上主你们天主的话。" 10 He continued:"This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 若苏厄遂说:"你们由此可知道,永生的天主是在你们中间,衪必由你们面前,将客纳罕人、赫特人、希威人、培黎齐人、基尔加士人、阿摩黎人和耶步斯人赶走。 11 The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the 看,大地主宰的约柜要在你们前面渡过约但河。 12 (Now choose twelve men, one from each of the tribes of 现在,你们应从以色列支派中,挑选十二人,每支派一人。 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank." 当抬大地的主宰上主约柜的司祭的脚掌,一踏入约但河的水,约但河的水就必中断,由上流下的水要停,像一道堤。 14 The people struck their tents to cross the 当百姓起程离开帐幕要过约但河时,司祭抬着约柜,走在百姓的前面。 15 1 No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the 当抬约柜的司祭到了约但河,他们的脚一踏入水边,──原来约但河在整个收割期间,水常涨至河岸── 16 2 than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite 水就停住了:由上流下的水像一道堤,停在很远的地方,远至匝尔堂附近的阿当城;往下流入阿辣巴海,即盐海的水,已全退去;于是百姓在耶里哥对面过了河。 17 While all 当全以色列人在旱地上渡过时,抬上主约柜的司祭稳立在约但河中的旱地上,直到全民众都渡过约但河。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [15] Season of the harvest: toward the end of March and the beginning of April, when the grain and other crops that grew during the rainy season of winter were reaped. The crossing took place"on the tenth day of the first month" of the Hebrew year, which began with the first new moon after the spring equinox; cf Joshua 4:19. At this time of the year the 2 [16] The sudden damming of the river could have been caused by a landslide, as has happened on other occasions. The miraculous character of this event would not thereby be removed because God, who foretold it (Joshua 3:13), also caused it to take place at precisely the right moment (Joshua 3:15), whether or not he used natural forces to accomplish his will. |