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命取约旦河石立之为记

国民尽都过了约旦河,耶和华就对约书亚说: “你从民中要拣选十二个人,每支派一人, 吩咐他们说:‘你们从这里,从约旦河中,祭司脚站定的地方,取十二块石头带过去,放在你们今夜要住宿的地方。’” 于是,约书亚将他从以色列人中所预备的那十二个人,每支派一人,都召了来, 对他们说:“你们下约旦河中,过到耶和华你们神的约柜前头,按着以色列人十二支派的数目,每人取一块石头扛在肩上。 这些石头在你们中间可以作为证据。日后,你们的子孙问你们说:‘这些石头是什么意思?’ 你们就对他们说:‘这是因为约旦河的水在耶和华的约柜前断绝。约柜过约旦河的时候,约旦河的水就断绝了。这些石头要做以色列人永远的纪念。’”

以色列人就照约书亚所吩咐的,按着以色列人支派的数目,从约旦河中取了十二块石头,都遵耶和华所吩咐约书亚的行了。他们把石头带过去,到他们所住宿的地方,就放在那里。 约书亚另把十二块石头立在约旦河中,在抬约柜的祭司脚站立的地方,直到今日那石头还在那里。 10 抬约柜的祭司站在约旦河中,等到耶和华晓谕约书亚吩咐百姓的事办完了,是照摩西所吩咐约书亚的一切话。于是百姓急速过去了。 11 众百姓尽都过了河,耶和华的约柜和祭司就在百姓面前过去。 12 鲁本人、迦得人、玛拿西半支派的人都照摩西所吩咐他们的,带着兵器在以色列人前头过去。 13 约有四万人都准备打仗,在耶和华面前过去,到耶利哥的平原,等候上阵。 14 当那日,耶和华使约书亚以色列众人眼前尊大。在他平生的日子,百姓敬畏他,像从前敬畏摩西一样。

15 耶和华晓谕约书亚说: 16 “你吩咐抬法柜的祭司从约旦河里上来。” 17 约书亚就吩咐祭司说:“你们从约旦河里上来。” 18 抬耶和华约柜的祭司从约旦河里上来,脚掌刚落旱地,约旦河的水就流到原处,仍旧涨过两岸。

19 正月初十日,百姓从约旦河里上来,就在吉甲,在耶利哥的东边安营。 20 他们从约旦河中取来的那十二块石头,约书亚就立在吉甲 21 以色列人说:“日后你们的子孙问他们的父亲说:‘这些石头是什么意思?’ 22 你们就告诉他们说:‘以色列人曾走干地过这约旦河。 23 因为耶和华你们的神在你们前面使约旦河的水干了,等着你们过来,就如耶和华你们的神从前在我们前面使海干了,等着我们过来一样。 24 要使地上万民都知道耶和华的手大有能力,也要使你们永远敬畏耶和华你们的神。’”

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

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

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:

13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, 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.

15 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

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

20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

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

23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

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