Joshua 4

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

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

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

3 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.

And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the middle of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where you shall lodge this night.

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

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

5 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:

And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

6 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?

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean you by these stones?

7 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.

Then you shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel for ever.

8 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.

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

9 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.

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

10 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.

For the priests which bore the ark stood in the middle of 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.

11 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.

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

12 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:

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them:

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

About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14 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.

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.

15 Then the Lord said to Joshua,

And the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

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

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come you up out of Jordan.

18 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.

And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the middle of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

19 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.

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

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

And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 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?

And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

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

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

23 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:

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24 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.

That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God for ever.