Joshua
Chapter Four
1 ¶ And it came to
pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD
spoke to Joshua, saying:
2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,
3 "and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here,
out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood
firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place
where you lodge tonight.'"
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children
of Israel, one man from every tribe;
5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your
God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his
shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
6 "that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to
come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
7 "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off
before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan,
the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial
to the children of Israel forever."
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve
stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according
to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over
with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst 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.
10 ¶ So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until
everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people,
according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and
crossed over.
11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that
the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.
12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed
over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.
13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle,
to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they
feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from
the Jordan."
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan."
18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of
the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests'
feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place
and overflowed all its banks as before.
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,
and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
20 ¶ And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua
set up in Gilgal.
21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children
ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'
22 "then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over
this Jordan on dry land';
23 "for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you
until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God 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 the hand of the LORD, that
it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever."
Go to Chapter Five
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