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

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

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.'

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

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,

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

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.'

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,

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

14 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 And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

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

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

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

23 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 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.'

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones(C) from the middle of the Jordan,(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.(E)

So Joshua called together the twelve men(F) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.(G) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign(H) among you. In the future, when your children(I) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(J) tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(K) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial(L) to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(M) from the middle of the Jordan,(N) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(O) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones(P) that had been[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.(Q)

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben,(R) Gad(S) and the half-tribe of Manasseh(T) crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites,(U) as Moses had directed them.(V) 13 About forty thousand armed for battle(W) crossed over(X) before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

14 That day the Lord exalted(Y) Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

15 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law(Z) to come up out of the Jordan.”

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

18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place(AA) and ran at flood stage(AB) as before.

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal(AC) on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones(AD) they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’(AE) 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’(AF) 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.(AG) 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know(AH) that the hand of the Lord is powerful(AI) and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones
  2. Joshua 4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds