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Joshua 4
New English Translation

Israel Commemorates the Crossing

4 When the entire nation was on the other side,[a] the Lord told Joshua, 2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. 3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests[b] stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”

4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. 6 The stones[c] will be a reminder to you.[d] When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing[e] before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing.[f] These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”

8 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. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones[g] in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day.

10 Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly, 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed as the people looked on.[h] 12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. 13 About 40,000 battle-ready troops[i] marched past the Lord to fight[j] on the rift valley plains[k] of Jericho. 14 That day the Lord brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected[l] him all his life,[m] just as they had respected[n] Moses.

15 The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws[o] to come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua instructed the priests, “Come up from the Jordan!” 18 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land,[p] the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage.[q]

19 The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month[r] and camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the[s] twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21 He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’[t] 22 explain to[u] your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan River[v] on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it.[w] 24 He has done this so[x] all the nations[y] of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power[z] and so you might always obey[aa] the Lord your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:1 tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”
  2. Joshua 4:3 tn Heb “the feet of the priests.”
  3. Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”
  5. Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “were cut off from before.”
  6. Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”
  7. Joshua 4:9 tn Here “also” has been supplied in the translation to make it clear (as indicated by v. 20) that these are not the same stones the men took from the river bed.
  8. Joshua 4:11 tn Heb “in the presence of the people.”
  9. Joshua 4:13 tn Heb “men equipped for battle.”
  10. Joshua 4:13 tn Heb “for war.”
  11. Joshua 4:13 sn The עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah, “rift valley”) extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. The עַרְבוֹת (ʿarevot) of Jericho” refer to the parts of the Jordan Valley in the vicinity of Jericho (see HALOT 880 s.v. עֲרָבָה). The region is characterized by gently sloping plains which descend about 450 feet over the five miles from Jericho to the Jordan. Many translation say simply the “plains of Jericho” for the portion west of the Jordan and “plains of Moab” for the eastern portion. The translation here clarifies that the plains are part of the rift valley basin.
  12. Joshua 4:14 tn Heb “feared.”
  13. Joshua 4:14 tn Heb “all the days of his life.”
  14. Joshua 4:14 tn Heb “had feared.”
  15. Joshua 4:16 tn Traditionally, “the ark of the testimony,” another name for the ark of the covenant. The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (ʿedut, “testimony” or “witness”) here refers to the Mosaic covenant and the body of stipulations contained within it (see HALOT 791 s.v. 2).
  16. Joshua 4:18 tn Heb “and the soles of the feet of the priests were brought up to the dry land.”
  17. Joshua 4:18 tn Heb “and the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went as formerly over their banks.”sn Verses 15-18 give a more detailed account of the priests’ crossing that had been briefly described in v. 11.
  18. Joshua 4:19 sn The first month was the month Abib (= late March-early April in the modern calendar). The preparations for Passover also began on the tenth day of the first month (Exod 12:2-3).
  19. Joshua 4:20 tn Heb “these,” referring specifically to the twelve stones mentioned in vv. 3-7.
  20. Joshua 4:21 tn Heb “What are these stones?”
  21. Joshua 4:22 tn Heb “make known to.”
  22. Joshua 4:22 tn Heb “crossed this Jordan”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
  23. Joshua 4:23 tn Heb “just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea when he dried [it] up before us while we crossed over.”
  24. Joshua 4:24 tn Heb “in order that.”
  25. Joshua 4:24 tn Or “peoples.”
  26. Joshua 4:24 tn Heb “know the hand of the Lord that it is strong.”
  27. Joshua 4:24 tn Heb “fear.”
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约书亚记 4
Chinese New Version (Traditional)

立石為憑據

4 全國的人都完全過了約旦河以後，耶和華就吩咐約書亞說： 2 “你要從人民中選十二個人，每支派一人， 3 吩咐他們說：‘你們要從這裡，就是約旦河中間，祭司的腳所站的地方，取十二塊石頭，把它們帶過來，放在你們今夜要住宿的地方。’” 4 於是，約書亞把他從以色列人中挑選的十二個人，每支派一人，都召了來。 5 約書亞對他們說：“你們走到約旦河中間，在耶和華你們的　神的約櫃前面，按著以色列十二支派的數目，每人拿起一塊石頭，扛在自己的肩上； 6 這可以在你們中間作記號；如果日後你們的子孫問你們，說：‘這些石頭對你們有甚麼意思？’ 7 你們就可以告訴他們：‘這是因為約旦河的水在耶和華的約櫃前被截斷了；約櫃過約旦河的時候，約旦河的水被截斷了。所以這些石頭要給以色列人作記念，直到永遠。’”

8 以色列人就照著約書亞吩咐的行了；他們照著耶和華吩咐約書亞的，按著以色列十二支派的數目，從約旦河中間取了十二塊石頭，把它們帶過去，到他們住宿的地方，就放在那裡。

渡過約旦河

9 約書亞又在約旦河中間，在抬約櫃的祭司的腳所站的地方，豎立十二塊石頭；那些石頭到今日還在那裡。 10 抬約櫃的祭司站在約旦河中間，直到耶和華吩咐約書亞告訴人民的一切事，就是照著摩西吩咐約書亞的一切事，都辦完了，人民就急忙過去了。 11 全體人民都過了河以後，耶和華的約櫃和祭司才在人民的面前過去。 12 流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，都照著摩西吩咐他們的，拿起武器，在以色列人前面過河去了。 13 他們約有四萬人，都裝備好，預備打仗，在耶和華面前走過去，來到耶利哥的平原，等候作戰。 14 那一天耶和華使約書亞在以色列眾人眼中成為尊大；在他一生的日子，人民敬畏他，好像敬畏摩西一樣。

15 耶和華吩咐約書亞說： 16 “吩咐抬約櫃的祭司從約旦河上來。” 17 於是約書亞吩咐祭司說：“你們從約旦河上來。” 18 抬耶和華約櫃的祭司從約旦河中間上來的時候，祭司的腳掌一提起來踏在乾地上，約旦河的水就流回原處，像以前一樣漲過兩岸。

在吉甲紮營

19 正月初十，人民從約旦河上來以後，就在吉甲，在耶利哥的東邊安營。 20 約書亞把他們從約旦河取來的那十二塊石頭，豎立在吉甲。 21 約書亞對以色列人說：“如果日後你們的子孫問他們的父親說：‘這些石頭是甚麼意思？’ 22 那時，你們就要告訴你們的子孫，說：‘以色列人曾經在乾地上走過了這約旦河。’ 23 因為耶和華你們的　神在你們面前使約旦河的水乾了，直到你們都過了河，好像耶和華你們的　神從前對紅海所行的，在我們面前使紅海乾了，直到我們都過了河一樣； 24 好使地上萬民都認識耶和華的手，是有能力的手，也要使你們永遠敬畏耶和華你們的　神。”

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