Joshua 4:1-5
Christian Standard Bible
The Memorial Stones
4 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,(B) 3 and command them: Take twelve stones(C) 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 twelve 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 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?’ (D) 7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”(E)
8 The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each 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 twelve stones in the middle[b] of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.(F)
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,(G) as Moses had instructed them. 13 About forty thousand 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.(H) 15 The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony(I) 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[c] stepped out on solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks as before.
19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,(J) and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.(K) 20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve 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.’(L) 23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,(M) 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 peoples of the earth may know(N) that the Lord’s hand is strong,(O) and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”(P)
Circumcision of the Israelites
5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea(Q) heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over,(R) they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.
Joshua 4:1-5
International Standard Version
The Jordan River Memorial
4 As soon as the entire nation had completed its crossing of the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, 2 “Gather together twelve men from the people—one man from each tribe— 3 and tell them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests’ feet were standing, bring them along with you, and put them down where you camp tonight.’”
4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Israel, one man from each tribe. 5 Joshua told them, “Cross over again in front of the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan River. Then each of you pick up a stone on his shoulder with which to build a memorial,[a] one for each of the tribes of Israel. 6 Let this serve as[b] a sign among you, so that when your children ask in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean to you,’ 7 then you’ll say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan River were cut off in front of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan River, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones will become a memorial to the Israelis forever.”
8 The Israelis did just as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River—just as the Lord had spoken to Joshua—according to the number of the tribes of the Israelis, and they carried them over to where they would be pitching camp, and they put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River at the location where the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had been standing, and they remain there to this day.
Crossing the Jordan River
10 The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan River until everything had been done in accordance with what the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people and with everything that Moses had commanded Joshua. So the people hurried and crossed over. 11 When all of the people had completed their crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in full view of the people. 12 Just as Moses had directed, the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, dressed in battle regalia, in full view of the other[c] Israelis. 13 About 40,000 soldiers equipped to do battle in the Lord’s presence crossed over to the desert plains of Jericho.
14 That day, the Lord exalted Joshua in the presence of all Israel so that they revered him just as they had revered Moses throughout his life.
15 Now the Lord had told Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the Ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan River.”
17 So Joshua ordered the priests, “Come up from the Jordan River.”
18 As soon as the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord had come up from the middle of the Jordan River, and the soles of the priests’ feet came up to dry ground, the water of the Jordan River returned to normal,[d] covering its banks as it had done so before.
Why Joshua Set up the Memorial
19 The people came up from the Jordan River on the tenth day[e] of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern outskirts of Jericho. 20 Joshua set up the twelve stones that they had removed from the Jordan River at Gilgal. 21 Then he told the Israelis, “When your descendants ask their parents in years to come, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22 you are to tell your descendants: ‘Israel crossed this Jordan River on dry ground 23 because the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan River right in front of you, until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God had done to the Reed[f] Sea—which he had dried up in front of us until we had crossed it also.’ 24 Do this[g] so that all of the people of the earth may know how strong the power[h] of the Lord is, and so that you may fear the Lord your God every day.”
Israel’s Enemies Become Discouraged
5 All the Amorite kings who lived across the Jordan River to the west and all the Canaanite kings by the Mediterranean[i] Sea became discouraged as soon as they heard that the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan River for the people of Israel until they had crossed it. They no longer had a will to fight[j] because of the people of Israel.
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:5 The Heb. lacks with which to build a memorial
- Joshua 4:6 Lit. this be
- Joshua 4:12 The Heb. lacks other
- Joshua 4:18 Lit. to its place
- Joshua 4:19 The Heb. lacks day
- Joshua 4:23 So MT; LXX reads Red
- Joshua 4:24 The Heb. lacks Do this
- Joshua 4:24 Lit. hand
- Joshua 5:1 The Heb. lacks Mediterranean
- Joshua 5:1 Lit. a spirit in them
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
