Joshua 4

1 It happened, when all the nation had completely passed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

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

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

3 and command them, saying, 'Take up for yourselves from here, from the middle of the Jordan from the place where the feet of the priests stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where you will lodge tonight.'"

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.’”

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

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

5 Joshua said to them, "Pass over before me in the presence of 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 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.

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

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

7 then you shall tell them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed 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 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.’”

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; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

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.

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 right where the priests carrying the Ark of the Agreement had stood, and they are still there to this very 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.

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.

11 It happened, when all the people had completely passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, with the priests, in the presence of the people.

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

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

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.

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

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

15 The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

The Lord had told Joshua,

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

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

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

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

18 It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

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.

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

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

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

Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones that had been 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?'

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

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

you can explain to them, ‘This is where the Israelites 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 passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over;

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.

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God forever.'"

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.”