Joshua 4

1 And it came to pass when the whole nation had completely gone over the Jordan, that Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

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

“Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,

3 and command them, saying, Take up hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from 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.

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 And Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had appointed of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe;

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 before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and lift up each of you a stone [and put it] upon 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 in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye 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 ye shall say to them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it went through 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.

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 had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging-place, 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 twelve stones did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood firm; 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 And the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hasted 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 had completely gone over, that the ark of Jehovah went 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 the half tribe of Manasseh, went over in array before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken 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 armed for military service passed over before Jehovah to the war, unto 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 Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had 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 Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,

And he said to him,

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

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

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

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

18 And it came to pass when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, [when] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on to the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and they flowed as previously, over all its banks.

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 the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the eastern extremity 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 had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up 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 hereafter ask their fathers, 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 ye shall let your children know, saying, On dry land did Israel come over this Jordan;

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

23 because Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye had passed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed 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 peoples of the earth might know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty; that ye might fear Jehovah your God continually.

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.”