Joshua 4:1-5
Modern English Version
Twelve Memorial Stones
4 When the entire people had completed crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from among the people, one man per tribe. 3 Command them: ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the feet of the priests are standing; bring them over with you, and set them in the place you will camp tonight.’ ”
4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from among the children of Israel, one man per tribe. 5 Then Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift up a stone upon your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 so that this will be a sign among you. When your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 you will answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be a memorial for the children of Israel continually.”
8 Then the children of Israel did as Joshua commanded and picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the tribes of the children of Israel, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua. They crossed over with them to the settlement and set them there. 9 Joshua also set twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.
10 The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to say to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people quickly crossed over. 11 When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation in front of the children of Israel, according to what Moses had said to them. 13 About forty thousand battle-ready men crossed over before the Lord for battle on the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day, the Lord honored Joshua in the sight of all Israel. They feared him as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 The Lord spoke to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony: ‘Come up out of the Jordan!’ ”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan!”
18 Then when the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place 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 at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 Joshua set up in Gilgal those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan. 21 He said to the children of Israel, “When your children someday ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall explain to your children, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground!’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we crossed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, and you would fear the Lord your God always.”
5 When all the kings of the Amorites west of the Jordan and of the Canaanites by the sea to the east heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel while they crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any breath in them because of the children of Israel.
Joshua 4:1-5
21st Century King James Version
4 And it came to pass, when all the people had clean passed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke unto Joshua, saying,
2 “Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 and command ye them, saying, ‘Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.’”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
5 And Joshua said unto them, “Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take ye 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 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. 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 the Jordan, as the Lord spoke 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.
9 And 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 unto this day.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hastened and passed over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the people had clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke unto them.
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the Lord spoke unto Joshua, saying,
16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony that they come up out of the Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come ye up out of the Jordan.”
18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
21 And he spoke unto the children of Israel, saying, “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What mean these stones?’
22 then ye shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.’
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until ye had passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up from before us until we had gone over,
24 that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”
5 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the side of the Jordan westward and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had passed over, that their heart melted; neither was there spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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