Joshua 4

1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,

And it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

'Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man — one man out of a tribe;

3 and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”

and command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this [place], from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and ye have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which ye lodge to-night.'

4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,

And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man — one man out of a tribe;

5 and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,

and Joshua saith to them, 'Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God unto the midst of the Jordan and lift up for you each, one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?

7 you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”

that ye have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; in its passing over into the Jordan were the waters of the Jordan cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel — to the age.'

8 Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,

9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.

even the twelve stones hath Joshua raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, and they are there unto this day.

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,

And the priests bearing the ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan till the completion of the whole thing which Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people haste and pass over.

11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.

And it cometh to pass when all the people have completed to pass over, that the ark of Jehovah passeth over, and the priests, in the presence of the people;

12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.

and the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, pass over, by fifties, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them;

13 About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.

about forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before Jehovah for battle, unto the plains of Jericho.

14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.

On that day hath Jehovah made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they reverence him, as they reverenced Moses, all days of his life.

15 Then the LORD said to Joshua,

And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

'Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.'

17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”

And Joshua commandeth the priests, saying, 'Come ye up out of the Jordan.'

18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

And it cometh to pass, in the coming up of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the midst of the Jordan — the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground — and the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

And the people have come up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamp in Gilgal, in the extremity east of Jericho;

20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.

21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’

And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, 'When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones?

22 you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

then ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan;

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

because Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, till your passing over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence till our passing over;

24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

so that all the people of the land do know the hand of Jehovah that it [is] strong, so that ye have reverenced Jehovah your God all the days.'