Joshua 4
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Monument
4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and give them the following orders: ‘Pick up twelve stones from here in the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the feet of the priests are standing securely. Carry them over with you and put them at the place where you will stay tonight.’”
4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had selected from the people of Israel—a man from each tribe. 5 Joshua said to them, “Go to the middle of the Jordan in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. There each man is to lift up one stone on his shoulder. The number will correspond to the number of the tribes descended from the sons of Israel, 6 so that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in the future, ‘What do these stones mean for you?’ 7 Then you shall respond to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When the ark passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will serve as a permanent memorial for the people of Israel.”
8 So the people of Israel did just as Joshua had ordered. They picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, corresponding to the number of the tribes descended from the sons of Israel, as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried the stones over with them to their lodging place and deposited them there. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had stood.[a] They are there to this day.
10 The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people had been accomplished, just as Moses had commanded Joshua. The people moved swiftly and completed the crossing. 11 When all the people had finished crossing, the Ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.
12 The descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh,[b] arranged by their military units, had crossed over ahead of the people of Israel, just as Moses had commanded them, 13 about forty thousand men armed for battle. They crossed over to the plain near Jericho to wage war in the presence of the Lord.
14 That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they honored[c] him, just as they had honored Moses, all the days of his life.
15 The Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Testimony that they should come up out of the Jordan.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
18 When the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, as soon as the soles of their feet reached dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and it overflowed all its banks as before. 19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and set up camp at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
20 Those twelve stones that they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 He said to the people of Israel, “When your children in the future ask their fathers, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 you shall teach your children, ‘On dry land Israel crossed over this Jordan.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of you until you crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up in front of us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth would know that the hand of the Lord is strong, so that you would fear the Lord your God always.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:9 This verse could also be translated there Joshua set up the twelve stones that had previously been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had stood. It is, therefore, uncertain if there were two monuments or one.
- Joshua 4:12 Half of the tribe of Manasseh asked for land in the Transjordan. After they establish themselves there as an independent entity, they are called the half tribe of Manasseh.
- Joshua 4:14 Or revered
Josué 4
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Monumento conmemorativo
4 Cuando todo el pueblo terminó de cruzar el río Jordán, el Señor le dijo a Josué: 2 «Elegid un hombre de cada una de las doce tribus de Israel, 3 y ordenadles que tomen doce piedras del cauce, exactamente del lugar donde los sacerdotes permanecieron de pie. Decidles que las coloquen en el lugar donde hoy pasaréis la noche».
4 Entonces Josué reunió a los doce hombres que había escogido de las doce tribus, 5 y les dijo: «Id al centro del cauce del río, hasta donde está el arca del Señor vuestro Dios, y cada uno cargue al hombro una piedra. Serán doce piedras, una por cada tribu de Israel, 6 y servirán como señal entre vosotros. En el futuro, cuando vuestros hijos os pregunten: “¿Por qué están estas piedras aquí?”, 7 vosotros les responderéis: “El día en que el arca del pacto del Señor cruzó el Jordán, las aguas del río se dividieron frente a ella. Para nosotros los israelitas, estas piedras que están aquí son un recuerdo permanente de aquella gran hazaña”».
8 Los israelitas hicieron lo que Josué les ordenó, según las instrucciones del Señor. Tomaron las piedras del cauce del Jordán, conforme al número de las tribus, las llevaron hasta el campamento y las colocaron allí. 9 Además, Josué colocó doce piedras en el cauce del río donde se detuvieron los sacerdotes que llevaban el arca del pacto. Esas piedras siguen allí hasta el día de hoy.
10 Los sacerdotes que llevaban el arca permanecieron en medio del cauce hasta que los israelitas hicieron todo lo que el Señor le había ordenado a Josué. Todo se hizo según las instrucciones que Josué había recibido de Moisés. El pueblo se apresuró a cruzar el río 11 y, cuando todos lo habían hecho, el arca del Señor y los sacerdotes cruzaron también en presencia del pueblo. 12 Acompañaban al pueblo los guerreros de las tribus de Rubén, Gad y la media tribu de Manasés, según las órdenes que había dado Moisés. 13 Unos cuarenta mil guerreros armados desfilaron en presencia del Señor y se dirigieron a la planicie de Jericó listos para la guerra.
14 Aquel mismo día, el Señor engrandeció a Josué ante todo Israel. El pueblo admiró a Josué todos los días de su vida, como había hecho con Moisés.
15 Luego el Señor le dijo a Josué: 16 «Ordénales a los sacerdotes portadores del arca del pacto que salgan del Jordán». 17 Josué les ordenó a los sacerdotes que salieran, 18 y así lo hicieron, portando el arca del pacto del Señor. Tan pronto como sus pies tocaron tierra firme, las aguas del río regresaron a su lugar y se desbordaron como de costumbre. 19 Así, el día diez del mes primero, el pueblo de Israel cruzó el Jordán y acampó en Guilgal, al este de Jericó. 20 Entonces Josué erigió allí las piedras que habían tomado del cauce del Jordán, 21 y se dirigió a los israelitas: «En el futuro, cuando vuestros hijos os pregunten: “¿Por qué están estas piedras aquí?”, 22 vosotros les responderéis: “Porque el pueblo de Israel cruzó el río Jordán en seco”. 23 El Señor, vuestro Dios, hizo lo mismo que había hecho con el Mar Rojo cuando lo mantuvo seco hasta que todos nosotros cruzamos. 24 Esto sucedió para que todas las naciones de la tierra supieran que el Señor es poderoso, y para que vosotros aprendierais a temerlo para siempre».
Joshua 4
New King James Version
The Memorial Stones
4 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed (A)over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 (B)“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 (C)the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in (D)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 (E)a sign among you (F)when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that (G)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 (H)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 (I)ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And (J)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 [a]prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the Lord (K)exalted[b] 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 (L)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 (M)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 (N)in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And (O)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: (P)“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, (Q)‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on (R)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, (S)which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 (T)that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is (U)mighty, that you may (V)fear the Lord your God [c]forever.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:13 equipped
- Joshua 4:14 made Joshua great
- Joshua 4:24 Lit. all days
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Santa Biblia, NUEVA VERSIÓN INTERNACIONAL® NVI® (Castellano) © 1999, 2005, 2017 por Biblica, Inc.® Usado con permiso de Biblica, Inc.® Reservados todos los derechos en todo el mundo.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
