Joshua 4

1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

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

“Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,

3 And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the middle of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where you shall lodge this night.

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.”

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

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

5 And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

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,

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

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?’

7 Then you shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel for ever.

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.’”

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

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.

9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bore the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there to this day.

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.

10 For the priests which bore the ark stood in the middle of Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hurried and passed over.

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.

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

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

12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them:

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.

13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

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

14 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.

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.

15 And the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

And he said to him,

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

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

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come you up out of Jordan.

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

18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the middle of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

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.

19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

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.

20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

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

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

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?’

22 Then you shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

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

23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

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.

24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God for ever.

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.”