Joshua 4

1 When all the people crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh said to 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 for yourselves from among the people, one man from each tribe.

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

3 Give them this command: 'Take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing on the dry ground, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you will spend the night 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 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the tribes of Israel, 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 Joshua said to them, “Go over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people 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 sign in your midst for you when your children ask in days to come, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

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

7 Then you will say to them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones will be 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 just as Joshua commanded, and they picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh said to Joshua. They set the stones up according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel. They carried the stones with them, over to the place where they camped and they set them down there.

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 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River, in the place where the feet of the priests that carried the ark of the covenant stood. The memorial is there to this 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 that carried the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was completed, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried and they crossed over.

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 When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over before the people.

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 tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh passed before the people of Israel formed up as an army, just as Moses said to them.

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 About forty thousand men equipped for war passed before Yahweh, for battle on 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 Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel. They honored him—just as they honored Moses— all his days.

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 Then Yahweh spoke to Joshua,

And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

16 “Command the priests who carry 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 commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

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

18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet were lifted up out on dry ground, then the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed its banks, just as they were four days 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 came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. They stayed in Gilgal, east of Jericho.

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 The twelve stones that they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

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

21 He said to the people of Israel, “When your descendants ask their fathers in times to come, 'What are these stones?'

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

22 Tell your children, 'This is where Israel crossed over the Jordan on dry ground.'

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

23 Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you, until you had crossed over, just as Yahweh your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up for us until we passed over,

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 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is mighty, and that you will honor Yahweh 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.'