Joshua 4

1 Once the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua,

And it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one per tribe,

'Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man — one man out of a tribe;

3 and tell them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing. Then carry them and set them down at the place where you will camp tonight.’”

and command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this [place], from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and ye have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which ye lodge to-night.'

4 So Joshua sent for the twelve men he had chosen, one from each tribe,

And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man — one man out of a tribe;

5 and told them, “Go back into the middle of the Jordan, right in front of the Ark of the Agreement of the Lord your God, and each of you pick up a stone and carry it on your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel.

and Joshua saith to them, 'Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God unto the midst of the Jordan and lift up for you each, one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

6 This will be a memorial among you so when your children one day ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’

so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?

7 you can tell them, ‘It's about the time the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Agreement went across. When it crossed over the water stopped. These stones are a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”

that ye have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; in its passing over into the Jordan were the waters of the Jordan cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel — to the age.'

8 The people of Israel did as Joshua told them. The men picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped overnight and placed the stones there, one for each of the tribes of Israel.

And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,

9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan right where the priests carrying the Ark of the Agreement had stood, and they are still there to this very day.

even the twelve stones hath Joshua raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, and they are there unto this day.

10 The priests carrying the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was done just as the Lord had told the people to do, all that Moses had told Joshua to do. The people crossed over quickly.

And the priests bearing the ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan till the completion of the whole thing which Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people haste and pass over.

11 Once all the people had crossed over, they watched as the Ark of the Lord was carried across by the priests.

And it cometh to pass when all the people have completed to pass over, that the ark of Jehovah passeth over, and the priests, in the presence of the people;

12 The armed men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed at the head of the people of Israel, as Moses had stipulated.

and the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, pass over, by fifties, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them;

13 They numbered about 40,000 men, armed and ready for battle, crossed in the presence of the Lord to the plains of Jericho.

about forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before Jehovah for battle, unto the plains of Jericho.

14 On that day the Lord confirmed Joshua as great leader in the sight of all the Israelites, and they were in awe of him just as they had been in awe of Moses.

On that day hath Jehovah made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they reverence him, as they reverenced Moses, all days of his life.

15 The Lord had told Joshua,

And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

16 “Order the priests carrying the Ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”

'Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.'

17 So Joshua told the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

And Joshua commandeth the priests, saying, 'Come ye up out of the Jordan.'

18 The priests came up out of the Jordan carrying the Ark of the Agreement, and as soon as their feet touched dry ground the waters of the Jordan returned to where they had been, overflowing its banks as before.

And it cometh to pass, in the coming up of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the midst of the Jordan — the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground — and the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.

19 The people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal, to the east of Jericho, on the tenth day of the first month.

And the people have come up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamp in Gilgal, in the extremity east of Jericho;

20 Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan.

and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.

21 He told the Israelites, “When some day your children ask you their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’

And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, 'When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones?

22 you can explain to them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

then ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan;

23 For the Lord your God made the Jordan River dry up right in front of you so you all could cross, just as the Lord your God did at the Red Sea which he dried up so we could all cross.

because Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, till your passing over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence till our passing over;

24 He did this so everyone on earth would know how powerful the Lord is, and so that you might be in awe of the Lord your God forever.”

so that all the people of the land do know the hand of Jehovah that it [is] strong, so that ye have reverenced Jehovah your God all the days.'