Joshua 4

1 And when the people had completely passed over Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

2 Take men from the people, one of each tribe,

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

3 and charge them; and you shall take out of the midst of Jordan twelve fit stones, and having carried them across together with yourselves, place them in your camp, where you shall encamp for the night.

and command ye them, saying: Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones made ready, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place, where ye shall lodge this night.'

4 And Joshua having called twelve men of distinction amongst the children of Israel, one of each tribe,

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

5 said to them, Advance before me in the presence of the Lord into the midst of Jordan, and each having taken up a stone from thence, let him carry it on his shoulders, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel:

and Joshua said unto them: 'Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

6 that these may be to you continually for an appointed sign, that when your son asks you in future, saying, What are these stones to us?

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

7 then you may explain to your son, saying, The river Jordan was dried up from before the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth, when it passed it: and these stones shall be for a memorial for you for the children of Israel for ever.

then ye shall say unto them: Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.'

8 And the children of Israel did so, as the Lord commanded Joshua; and they took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, (as the Lord commanded Joshua, when the children of Israel had completely passed over, ) and carried these stones with them into the camp, and laid them down there.

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

9 And Joshua set also other twelve stones in Jordan itself, in the place that was under the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and there they are to this day.

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there unto this day.

10 And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant stood in Jordan, until Joshua [had] finished all that the Lord commanded him to report to the people; and the people hasted and passed over.

And the priests that bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hastened and passed over.

11 And it came to pass when all the people had passed over, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord passed over, and the stones before them.

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

12 And the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses commanded them.

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed on armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke unto them;

13 Forty thousand armed for battle went over before the Lord to war, to the city of Jericho.

about forty thousand ready armed for war passed on in the presence of the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14 In that day the Lord magnified Joshua before all the people of Israel; and they feared him, as [they did] Moses, as long as he lived.

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 And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying:

16 Charge the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the testimony of the Lord, to go up out of Jordan.

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

17 And Joshua charged the priests, saying, Go up out of Jordan.

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying: 'Come ye up out of the Jordan.'

18 And it came to pass when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord were gone up out of Jordan, and set their feet upon the land, [that] the water of Jordan returned impetuously to its place, and went as before over all its banks.

And it came to pass, as the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the midst of the Jordan, as soon as the soles of the priests' feet were drawn up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime.

19 And the people went up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month; and the children of Israel encamped in Galgala in the region eastward from Jericho.

And 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.

20 And Joshua set these twelve stones which he took out of Jordan, in Galgala,

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

21 saying, When your sons ask you, saying, What are these stones?

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

22 Tell your sons, that Israel went over this Jordan on dry land,

then ye shall let your children know, saying: Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23 when the Lord our God had dried up the water of Jordan from before them, until they had passed over; as the Lord our God did to the Red Sea, which the Lord our God dried up from before us, until we passed over.

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up from before us, until we were passed over,

24 That all the nations of the earth might know, that the power of the Lord is mighty, and that you might worship the Lord our God in every work.

that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that ye may fear the LORD your God for ever.'