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Joshua 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joshua 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Memorial Stones
4 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each tribe,(B) 3 and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests[a] are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
4 So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each[b] of the Israelite tribes, 6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’(C) 7 you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”(D)
8 The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each[c] of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there. 9 Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle[d] of the Jordan where the priests[e] who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.(E)
10 The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across, 11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the Lord crossed in the sight of the people. 12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites,(F) as Moses had instructed them. 13 About 40,000 equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord’s presence.
14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses.(G) 15 The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony[f](H) to come up from the Jordan.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet[g] stepped out on solid ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over all the banks as before.
19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,[h] and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho. 20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan, 21 and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22 you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’(I) 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,(J) just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. 24 This is so that all the people of the earth may know(K) that the Lord’s hand is mighty,(L) and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”(M)
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:3 Lit feet of the priests
- Joshua 4:5 Lit shoulder according to the number
- Joshua 4:8 Lit Jordan according to the number
- Joshua 4:9 Or Now Joshua set up the 12 stones [that had been] in the middle
- Joshua 4:9 Lit feet of the priests
- Joshua 4:16 = the ark of the covenant
- Joshua 4:18 Lit and the soles of the feet of the priests
- Joshua 4:19 = Nisan (March–April)
Joshua 4
New International Version
Joshua 4
New International Version
4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 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)”
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men(F) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 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, 6 to serve as a sign(H) among you. In the future, when your children(I) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(J) 7 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.”
8 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. 9 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
- Joshua 4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones
- Joshua 4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds
Joshua 4
English Standard Version
Joshua 4
English Standard Version
Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan
4 When all the nation had finished passing (A)over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 (B)“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take (C)twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place (D)where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in (E)the place where you lodge tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 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. (F)When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that (G)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 (H)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. 9 And Joshua set up[b] twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, (I)in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.
The people passed over in haste. 11 And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. 12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh (J)passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. 13 About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the Lord (K)exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests bearing (L)the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, (M)as before.
19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at (N)Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And (O)those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, (P)“When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, (Q)‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, (R)which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 (S)so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is (T)mighty, that you may (U)fear the Lord your God forever.”[c]
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:8 Or to rest
- Joshua 4:9 Or Joshua had set up
- Joshua 4:24 Or all the days
Giô-suê 4
New Vietnamese Bible
Giô-suê 4
New Vietnamese Bible
Mười Hai Tảng Đá
4 Khi toàn dân đã qua sông Giô-đanh, CHÚA phán dạy Giô-suê: 2 “Con hãy chọn mười hai người dân, mỗi bộ tộc một người, 3 bảo họ lấy mười hai tảng đá giữa sông Giô-đanh ngay tại chỗ các thầy tế lễ đang đứng và khiêng theo các con rồi đặt tại nơi các con nghỉ đêm nay.”
4 Vậy, Giô-suê tập họp mười hai người ông đã chỉ định trong vòng dân Y-sơ-ra-ên, mỗi bộ tộc một người 5 và bảo họ: “Các ngươi hãy đi trước Rương Giao Ước của CHÚA, Đức Chúa Trời các ngươi mà xuống tận giữa sông Giô-đanh. Mỗi người trong các ngươi hãy khiêng một tảng đá trên vai, đúng theo số các bộ tộc Y-sơ-ra-ên 6 để dùng làm dấu chứng giữa các ngươi. Về sau, khi con cháu các ngươi hỏi: 7 ‘Các tảng đá này có nghĩa gì?’ thì hãy thuật cho chúng về dòng nước sông Giô-đanh bị phân rẽ ra trước Rương Giao Ước của CHÚA; khi Rương qua sông Giô-đanh, nước sông chia đôi và các tảng đá này dùng làm đài kỷ niệm đời đời cho con dân Y-sơ-ra-ên.”
8 Vậy, dân Y-sơ-ra-ên làm theo những điều Giô-suê truyền bảo. Họ lấy mười hai tảng đá giữa sông Giô-đanh, theo số các bộ tộc Y-sơ-ra-ên như CHÚA đã phán dạy Giô-suê. Họ khiêng đá theo đến nơi hạ trại thì đặt xuống đó. 9 Giô-suê lấy mười hai tảng đá từ giữa lòng sông Giô-đanh đem dựng lên tại nơi các thầy tế lễ khiêng Rương Giao Ước đã đứng. Các tảng đá vẫn còn đó cho đến ngày nay.
10 Các thầy tế lễ khiêng Rương Giao Ước cứ dừng chân giữa lòng sông Giô-đanh cho đến khi mọi điều CHÚA phán dạy Giô-suê được dân Y-sơ-ra-ên hoàn tất, đúng như Môi-se đã dặn bảo Giô-suê. Dân chúng vội vã kéo qua sông. 11 Vừa khi tất cả đều qua sông hết, Rương Giao Ước của CHÚA và các thầy tế lễ mới đi qua bờ bên kia trước mặt dân chúng. 12 Con cháu Ru-bên, con cháu Gát và nửa bộ tộc Ma-na-se được vũ trang đều tiến lên dẫn đầu dân Y-sơ-ra-ên, đúng theo lời Môi-se đã dặn bảo. 13 Có độ 40,000 chiến sĩ vũ trang kéo qua sông trước mặt CHÚA, tiến vào các cánh đồng Giê-ri-cô để đánh giặc.
14 Hôm ấy, CHÚA tôn trọng Giô-suê trước mặt toàn dân Y-sơ-ra-ên nên họ tôn kính ông suốt đời như họ đã tôn kính Môi-se.
15 Khi ấy, CHÚA phán dạy Giô-suê: 16 “Con hãy bảo các thầy tế lễ khiêng Rương Chứng Cớ ra khỏi lòng sông Giô-đanh.”
17 Vậy, Giô-suê truyền bảo các thầy tế lễ: “Hãy ra khỏi lòng sông Giô-đanh!”
18 Các thầy tế lễ từ lòng sông lên bờ, khiêng Rương Giao Ước của CHÚA. Ngay lúc họ đặt chân lên đất khô trên bờ, lập tức dòng nước sông Giô-đanh trở lại như cũ và tiếp tục chảy tràn bờ như trước.
19 Ngày mồng mười tháng một, dân chúng từ lòng sông Giô-đanh tiến lên, hạ trại tại Ghinh-ganh trên ranh giới phía đông thành Giê-ri-cô. 20 Giô-suê dựng mười hai tảng đá lên tại Ghinh-ganh, tức là các tảng đá người ta đã lấy dưới đáy sông Giô-đanh. 21 Ông bảo dân Y-sơ-ra-ên: “Về sau, khi hậu tự các ngươi hỏi cha ông chúng: ‘Các tảng đá này có nghĩa gì?’ 22 Hãy đáp: ‘Dân Y-sơ-ra-ên đã vượt qua sông Giô-đanh như đi trên đất khô. 23 Vì CHÚA, Đức Chúa Trời các ngươi đã làm cho dòng sông Giô-đanh cạn khô trước mặt các ngươi cho đến khi các ngươi đã đi qua hết. CHÚA, Đức Chúa Trời các người đã làm cho sông Giô-đanh y như Ngài đã làm cho Biển Đỏ, khiến nó cạn khô trước mặt chúng ta cho đến khi chúng ta vượt qua sông.’ 24 Ngài thực hiện điều này để tất cả các dân tộc trên khắp đất biết rõ bàn tay quyền năng của CHÚA và để các ngươi luôn kính sợ CHÚA, Đức Chúa Trời các ngươi!”
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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.
New Vietnamese Bible (NVB)
New Vietnamese Bible. Used by permission of VBI (www.nvbible.org)