Joshua 4

1 When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

Now when all the nation had come to the other side of Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

2 “Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,

Take twelve men from the people, a man for every tribe,

3 and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you will camp tonight.’”

And say to them, Take up from the middle of Jordan, from the place where the feet of the priests were resting, twelve stones, and take them over with you and put them down in the place where you take your rest tonight.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.

So Joshua sent for the twelve men, whom he had ready, one man out of every tribe of the children of Israel,

5 Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

And he said to them, Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of Jordan, and let every one of you take up a stone on his back, one for every tribe of the children of Israel:

6 that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

So that this may be a sign among you; when your children say to you in time to come, What is the reason for these stones?

7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”

Then you will say to them, Because the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the Lord's agreement; when it went over Jordan the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones will be a sign for the children of Israel, keeping it in their memory for ever.

8 The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.

So the children of Israel did as Joshua gave them orders, and took twelve stones from the middle of Jordan, as the Lord had said to Joshua, one for every tribe of the children of Israel; these they took across with them to their night's resting-place and put them down there.

9 Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

And Joshua put up twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, where the feet of the priests who took up the ark of the agreement had been placed: and there they are to this day.

10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.

For the priests who took up the ark kept there in the middle of Jordan till all the orders given to Joshua by Moses from the Lord had been done: then the people went over quickly.

11 When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people.

And when all the people had come to the other side, the ark of the Lord went over, and the priests, before the eyes of the people.

12 The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh went over armed before the children of Israel as Moses had said to them:

13 About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

About forty thousand armed for war went over before the Lord to the fight, to the lowlands of Jericho.

14 On that day, the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

That day the Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel; and all the days of his life they went in fear of him, as they had gone in fear of Moses.

15 The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

Then the Lord said to Joshua,

16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.”

Give orders to the priests who take up the ark of witness, to come up out of Jordan.

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

So Joshua gave orders to the priests, saying, Come up now out of Jordan.

18 When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

And when the priests who took up the ark of the Lord's agreement came up out of Jordan and their feet came out on to dry land, the waters of Jordan went back to their place, overflowing its edges as before.

19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

So on the tenth day of the first month the people came up out of Jordan, and put up their tents in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho.

20 Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

And the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua put up in Gilgal.

21 He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’

And he said to the children of Israel, When your children say to their fathers in time to come, What is the reason for these stones?

22 Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

Then give your children the story, and say, Israel came over this river Jordan on dry land.

23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over,

For the Lord your God made the waters of Jordan dry before you till you had gone across, as he did to the Red Sea, drying it up before us till we had gone across:

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’”

So that all the peoples of the earth may see that the hand of the Lord is strong; and that they may go in fear of the Lord your God for ever.