Joshua 4

1 When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,

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

“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

3 and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’”

and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”

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

So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,

5 Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,

6 that this may be a sign amongst you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”

you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”

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

Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

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

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.

10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the 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 carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,

11 When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people.

and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.

12 The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.

13 About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains 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.

On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.

15 The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.”

“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”

18 When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

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

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

20 Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

21 He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’

Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’

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

you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over,

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over.

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’”

He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”