Joshua 4

1 And when they had crossed over, the Lord said to Joshua:

And when all the people were wholy gone ouer Iorden, (after the Lord had spoken vnto Ioshua, saying,

2 “Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,

Take you twelue me out of the people, out of euery tribe a man,

3 and instruct them so that they may take from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood still, twelve very hard stones, which you shall station in the place of the camp, where you will pitch your tents this night.”

And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the middes of Iorden, out of the place where the Priestes stoode in a readinesse, twelue stones, which ye shall take away with you, and leaue them in the lodging where you shall lodge this night)

4 And Joshua called twelve men, whom he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,

Then Ioshua called the twelue men, whome he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery tribe a man,

5 and he said to them: “Go before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each one carry from there one stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the sons of Israel,

And Ioshua said vnto them, Go ouer before the Arke of the Lord your God, euen through the middes of Iorden, and take vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder according vnto the nomber of the tribes of the children of Israel,

6 so that it may be a sign among you. And when your sons will ask you, tomorrow, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

That this may bee a signe among you, that whe your children shall aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane you by these stones?

7 you shall respond to them: ‘The waters of the Jordan failed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when the ark crossed over it. For this reason, these stones were placed as a monument for the sons of Israel, even forever.’”

Then ye may answere them, That the waters of Iorden were cut off before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord: for when it passed through Iorden, the waters of Iorden were cut off: therefore these stones are a memoriall vnto the children of Israel for euer.

8 Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.

Then ye children of Israel did euen so as Ioshua had commanded, and tooke vp twelue stones out of the mids of Iorden as ye Lord had said vnto Ioshua, according to the nomber of the tribes of the children of Israel, and caried them away with them vnto the lodging, and layd them down there.

9 Similarly, Joshua positioned another twelve stones in the middle of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant; and they are there, even to the present day.

And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the middes of Iorden, in the place where the feete of the Priests, which bare the Arke of the couenant stood, and there haue they continued vnto this day.

10 Now the priests who were carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was accomplished which the Lord had instructed Joshua to speak to the people and which Moses had said to him. And the people hurried, and they passed over.

So the Priests, which bare ye Arke, stoode in the middes of Iorden, vntill euery thing was finished that ye Lord had comanded Ioshua to say vnto the people, according to all that Moses charged Ioshua: then the people hasted and went ouer.

11 And when they had all crossed, the ark of the Lord also crossed, and the priests advanced before the people.

When all the people were cleane passed ouer, the Arke of the Lord went ouer also, and the Priests before the people.

12 Likewise, the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh advanced with weapons before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had instructed them.

And the sonnes of Reuben, and the sonnes of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh went ouer before the children of Israel armed, as Moses had charged them.

13 And forty thousand fighters, by companies and divisions, advanced through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

Euen fourty thousand prepared for warre, went before the Lord vnto battel, into ye plaine of Iericho.

14 In that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they would fear him, just as they had feared Moses while he lived.

That day the Lord magnified Ioshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses all dayes of his life.

15 And he said to him,

And the Lord spake vnto Ioshua, saying,

16 “Command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to ascend from the Jordan.”

Commande the Priests that beare ye Arke of the testimonie, to come vp out of Iorden.

17 And he commanded them, saying, “Ascend from the Jordan.”

Ioshua therefore commanded the Priests, saying, Come ye vp out of Iorden.

18 And when those who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord had ascended, and they began to step on dry soil, the waters returned to their channel, and they flowed as they usually did before.

And when the Priests that bare the Arke of the couenant of ye Lord were come vp out of the middes of Iorden, and assoone as the soles of the Priests feete were set on the dry land, the waters of Iorde returned vnto their place, and flowed ouer all the bankes thereof, as they did before.

19 Now the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, opposite the eastern portion of the city of Jericho.

So the people came vp out of Iorden the tenth day of the first moneth, and pitched in Gilgal, in the Eastside of Iericho.

20 Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.

Also the twelue stones, which they tooke out of Iorden, did Ioshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 And he said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons will question their fathers, tomorrow, and they will say to them, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

And he spake vnto ye childre of Israel, saying, When your children shall aske their fathers in time to come, and say, What meane these stones?

22 you shall teach them, and you shall say: ‘Israel passed over this Jordan, through the dry channel.’

Then ye shall shew your children, and say, Israel came ouer this Iorden on dry land:

23 For the Lord your God dried up its waters in your sight, until you crossed over, just as he had done before, at the Red Sea, which he dried up until we crossed over.

For the Lord your God dryed vp ye waters of Iorden before you, vntill ye were gone ouer, as the Lord your God did the red Sea, which hee dryed vp before vs, till we were gone ouer,

24 So may all the peoples of the earth learn of the very powerful hand of the Lord. So may you also fear the Lord your God for all time.”

That all the people of the worlde may know that the hand of the Lord is mightie, that ye might feare the Lord your God continually.