Joshua 4:1-5
Lexham English Bible
The Israelites Make a Memorial
4 After all the nation finished crossing the Jordan, Yahweh said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,[a] 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you, and set them up in the place where you will camp tonight.’”[b] 4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had appointed from the Israelites,[c] one from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Cross over before[d] the ark of Yahweh your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each one of you lift up a stone on your[e] shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,[f] 6 so that this may be a reminder[g] among you. When your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’[h] 7 you will say to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off from before[i] the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be as a memorial for the Israelites[j] for eternity.”
8 Thus the Israelites[k] did as Joshua commanded. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as Yahweh told Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,[l] and they carried them over with them to the camp,[m] and they put them there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day. 10 The priests carrying the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was finished, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hastily crossed over.
11 And it happened, when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over in front of[n] the people. 12 The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the Israelites,[o] as Moses told them. 13 About forty thousand armed for fighting crossed over before the presence of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle. 14 On that day Yahweh exalted Joshua in the sight[p] of all Israel, and they respected him[q] as they respected[r] Moses all the days of his life.
15 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony[s] to come up[t] from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it happened that when the priests carrying the ark came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched dry land,[u] the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.
19 And the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the eastern edge[v] of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 And he said to the Israelites,[w] “When your children ask in the future their parents,[x] ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’[y] 22 you will let your children know by saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea,[z] which he dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is strong, so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.”[aa]
The Israelites Are Circumcised
5 And it happened, when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites[ab] who were by the sea heard that Yahweh dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of the Israelites[ac] until they crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no courage left in them[ad] because of the presence of the Israelites. [ae]
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:2 Literally “man one man one from tribe”
- Joshua 4:3 Literally “the lodging place where you will lodge tonight”
- Joshua 4:4 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:5 Or “the presence”
- Joshua 4:5 Hebrew “his”
- Joshua 4:5 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:6 Or “sign”
- Joshua 4:6 Literally “What are these stones for you?”
- Joshua 4:7 Or “the presence of”
- Joshua 4:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:8 Literally “the place of overnight lodging”
- Joshua 4:11 Or “before the presence”
- Joshua 4:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:14 Literally “in the eyes”
- Joshua 4:14 Or “feared him”
- Joshua 4:14 Or “feared”
- Joshua 4:16 That is, the ark of the covenant
- Joshua 4:16 Literally “and let them come up”
- Joshua 4:18 Literally “were raised from the ground to dry land”
- Joshua 4:19 That is, border
- Joshua 4:21 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 4:21 Literally “their fathers”
- Joshua 4:21 Literally “What are these stones?”
- Joshua 4:23 Literally “sea of reeds”
- Joshua 4:24 Literally “all the days”
- Joshua 5:1 Hebrew “Canaanite”
- Joshua 5:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 5:1 Literally “a spirit was no longer in them”
- Joshua 5:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
Joshua 4:1-5
New American Standard Bible
Memorial Stones from the Jordan
4 Now when the entire nation had finished crossing the (A)Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “(B)Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firmly, and carry them over with you and lay them down in (C)the encampment where you will spend the night.’” 4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “[a]Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6 [b]This shall be a sign among you; (D)when your children ask [c]later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘That the (E)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.’ So these stones shall become a (F)memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”
8 So the sons of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to (G)the encampment and put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve (H)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, and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed 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; 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, then the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed in front of the people. 12 (I)The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about forty thousand equipped for war, crossed for battle before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho.
14 (J)On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they [d]revered him, just as they had [e]revered Moses all the days of his life.
15 Now the Lord said to [f]Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry (K)the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 It came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were [g]lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the (L)tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal, on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 As for [h](M)those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set them up (N)at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the sons of [i]Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on (O)dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the [j]Red Sea, (P)which He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 so that (Q)all the peoples of the earth may know that the (R)hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may [k](S)fear the Lord your God [l]forever.”
Israel Is Circumcised
5 Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the (T)Canaanites who were by the sea, (U)heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until [m]they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:5 Lit Cross before the ark
- Joshua 4:6 Lit So that this may be
- Joshua 4:6 Lit tomorrow
- Joshua 4:14 Or feared
- Joshua 4:14 Or feared
- Joshua 4:15 Lit Joshua, saying
- Joshua 4:18 Lit drawn out
- Joshua 4:20 Lit these
- Joshua 4:21 Lit Israel, saying,
- Joshua 4:23 Lit Sea of Reeds
- Joshua 4:24 Or revere
- Joshua 4:24 Lit all the days
- Joshua 5:1 Other mss we
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