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The stones[a] will be a reminder to you.[b] When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing[c] before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing.[d] These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”

The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”
  3. Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “were cut off from before.”
  4. Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”

to serve as a sign(A) among you. In the future, when your children(B) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(C) tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(D) 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(E) to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(F) from the middle of the Jordan,(G) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(H) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

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