Joshua 4

¹And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

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

⁵and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

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

⁷then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

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

⁹And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

¹⁰For the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

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

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

¹³about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Jehovah unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴On that day Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵And Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

¹⁸And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime.

¹⁹And 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.

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

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

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

²³For Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over;

²⁴that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty; that ye may fear Jehovah your God for ever.

Joshua 4

¹And it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

²`Take for you out of the people twelve men, one manone man out of a tribe;

³and 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.'

⁴And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one manone man out of a tribe;

⁵and 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,

⁶so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What are these stones to you?

⁷that 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 Israelto the age.'

⁸And 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,

⁹even 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹And 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;

¹²and 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;

¹³about forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before Jehovah for battle, unto the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴On 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.

¹⁵And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

¹⁶`Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.'

¹⁷And Joshua commandeth the priests, saying, `Come ye up out of the Jordan.'

¹⁸And 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 Jordanthe soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry groundand the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.

¹⁹And 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;

²⁰and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.

²¹And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, `When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What are these stones?

²²then ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan;

²³because 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;

²⁴so 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.'