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Joshua 4:5-8
New International Version
Joshua 4:5-8
New International Version
5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.(A) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign(B) among you. In the future, when your children(C) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(D) 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(E) 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(F) to the people of Israel forever.”
8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(G) from the middle of the Jordan,(H) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(I) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.
Joshua 4:5-8
King James Version
Joshua 4:5-8
King James Version
5 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:
6 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?
7 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.
8 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.
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Joshua 4:5-8
English Standard Version
Joshua 4:5-8
English Standard Version
5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. (A)When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that (B)the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel (C)a memorial forever.”
8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down[a] there.
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- Joshua 4:8 Or to rest
Joshua 4:5-8
New Catholic Bible
Joshua 4:5-8
New Catholic Bible
5 and Joshua said to them, “Cross over in front of the Ark of the Lord, your God, into the middle of the Jordan and have each man place a rock on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites. 6 [a]These will serve as a reminder for you when, in the future, your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 7 you will answer them, ‘The waters of the Jordan stopped flowing before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan ceased to flow.’ These stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”
8 The Israelites did just what Joshua had commanded them to do. They picked up twelve stones from the Jordan’s riverbed, just as the Lord had instructed Joshua to do, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, and they brought them out to the place where they were camping that night and they laid them down there.
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- Joshua 4:6 What is the meaning of these stones?: the Israelites were taught about God’s plan and reminded of his faithfulness by seeing the stones and repeating the stories connected to them. This continues with the question and response at the Passover meal each year.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
