Joshua 4

1 And when they were passed over, the Lord said to Josue:

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

2 Choose twelve men, one of every tribe:

Take men from the people, one of each tribe,

3 And command them to take out of the midst of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, twelve very hard stones, which you shall set in the place of the camp, where you shall pitch your tents this night.

and charge them; and ye 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 ye shall encamp for the night.

4 And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,

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

5 And he said to them: Go before the ark of the Lord your God to the midst of the Jordan, and carry from thence every man a stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the children of Israel,

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:

6 That it may be a sign among you and when your children shall ask you tomorrow, saying: What mean these stones?

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

7 You shall answer them: The waters of the Jordan ran off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it passed over the same: therefore were these atones set for a monument of the children of Israel for ever.

then thou mayest explain to thy 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.

8 The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

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.

9 And Josue put other twelve stones in the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood that carried the ark of the covenant: and they are there until this present day.

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.

10 Now the priests that carried the ark, stood in the midst of the Jordan till all things were accomplished which the Lord had commanded Josue to speak to the people, and Moses had said to him. And the people made haste and passed over.

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.

11 And when they had all passed over, the ark also of the Lord passed over, and the priests went before the people.

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.

12 The children of Ruben also and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, went armed before the children of Israel as Moses had commanded them.

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.

13 And forty thousand fighting men by their troops, and bands, marched through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

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

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

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.

15 And he said to him:

And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

16 Command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.

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

17 And he commanded them, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan.

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

18 And when they that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up, and began to tread on the dry ground, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were wont before.

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.

19 And the people came up out of the Jordan, the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Galgal, over against the east side of the city of Jericho.

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.

20 And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal,

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

21 And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, tomorrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

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

22 You shall teach them and say: Israel passed over this Jordan through the dry channel.

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

23 The Lord your God drying up the waters thereof in your sight, until you passed over: As he had done before in the Red Sea, which he dried up till we passed through:

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.

24 That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.

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