< 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 nation had made an end of passing over the Jordan, that Yahweh slake unto Joshua, saying:
2 Take twelve men from the people, a man for every tribe,
Take unto you, from among the people, twelve men, one man severally from each tribe;
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 ye them, saying, Take you up from hence, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where stood the feet of the priests with firm footing, twelve stones; —and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge, tonight.
4 So Joshua sent for the twelve men, whom he had ready, one man out of every tribe of the children of Israel,
So Joshua called unto the twelve men whom he had made ready, from among the sons of Israel, —one man severally out of each tribe;
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 unto them: Pass ye over, before the ark of Yahweh your God, into the midst of the Jordan, —and lift ye up, each man one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons 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 in your midst, —for your sons will ask in time to come, saying, What mean these stones to you?
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 shall ye say unto them—That the waters of the Jordan, were cut off, from before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, when it passed into the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan, were cut off. So shall these stones become a memorial unto the sons of Israel, unto times age-abiding.
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 sons of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as spake Yahweh unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, —and carried them with them unto 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.
Twelve stones also, did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where stood the feet of the priests who were bearing the ark of the covenant, —and they have remained there until 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.
Now, the priests who were bearing the ark, continued standing in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished which Yahweh commanded Joshua, to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, —the people therefore hasted, 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 so it was, as soon as all the people had made an end of passing over, —then passed over the ark of Yahweh, and the priests, in 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:
Also the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, passed over, armed, before the sons of Israel, —as Moses had spoken unto them:
13 About forty thousand armed for war went over before the Lord to the fight, to the lowlands of Jericho.
about forty thousand, equipped for the war, passed over before Yahweh, to battle, into the waste 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, did Yahweh magnify Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, —and they revered him, as they revered Moses, all the days of his life.
15 Then the Lord said to Joshua,
Then spake Yahweh unto Joshua, saying:
16 Give orders to the priests who take up the ark of witness, to come up out of Jordan.
Command the priests who are bearing the ark of testimony, —that they come up out of the Jordan.
17 So Joshua gave orders to the priests, saying, Come up now out of Jordan.
So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, —Come ye up out of the 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 who were bearing the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the feet of the priests were withdrawn unto the dry ground, then returned the waters of the Jordan unto their place, and went, as before, over all his banks.
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.
So, the people, came up out of the Jordan, on the tenth of the first month, —and encamped in Gilgal, at the eastern end of Jericho.
20 And the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua put up in Gilgal.
And, these twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up, 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?
Then spake he unto the sons of Israel, saying, —When your sons shall ask, in time to come, of their fathers, saying, —What mean these stones?
22 Then give your children the story, and say, Israel came over this river Jordan on dry land.
then shall ye let your sons know, saying, —On dry ground, came Israel over this Jordan;
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:
in that Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan, from before you, until ye had passed over, —as Yahweh your God had done unto the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed 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 peoples of the earth might know the hand of Yahweh, that, firm, it is; that they might revere Yahweh your God, all the days.

< Joshua 4 >