The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Joshua 04
1 When all the nation had completely
crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to
Joshua, saying,
2 “Take twelve men out of the people, a
man out of every tribe,
3 and command them, saying, ‘Take from
out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the
place where the priests’ feet stood firm,
twelve stones, carry them over with you,
and lay them down in the place where
you’ll camp tonight.’ ”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men
whom he had prepared of the children of
Israel, a man out of every tribe.
5 Joshua said to them, “Cross before the
ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of
the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone
and put it on your shoulder, according to
the number of the tribes of the children of
Israel;
6 that this may be a sign among you, that
when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’
7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the
waters of the Jordan were cut off before
the ark of Yahweh’s covenant. When it
crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the
Jordan were cut off. These stones shall
be for a memorial to the children of Israel
forever.’ ”
8 The children of Israel did as Joshua
commanded, and took up twelve stones
out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh
spoke to Joshua, according to the number
of the tribes of the children of Israel. They
carried them over with them to the place
where they camped, and laid them down
there.
9 Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the
feet of the priests who bore the ark of the
covenant stood; and they are there to this
day.
10 For the priests who bore the ark
stood in the middle of the Jordan until
everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people,
according to all that Moses commanded
Joshua; and the people hurried and passed
over.
11 When all the people had completely
crossed over, Yahweh’s ark crossed over
with the priests in the presence of the people.
12 The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.
13 About forty thousand men, ready and
armed for war, passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day, Yahweh magnified Joshua
in the sight of all Israel; and they feared
him, as they feared Moses, all the days of
his life.
15 Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 “Command the priests who bear the
ark of the covenant, that they come up out
of the Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the
priests, saying, “Come up out of the
Jordan!”
18 When the priests who bore the ark of
Yahweh’s covenant had come up out of the
middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the
priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry
ground, the waters of the Jordan returned
to their place, and went over all its banks,
as before.
19 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 Joshua set up those twelve stones,
whichthey took out ofthe Jordan, in Gilgal.
21 He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers
in time to come, saying, ‘What do these
stones mean?’
22 Then you shall let your children know,
saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordanondry
land.
23 For Yahweh your God dried up the
waters of the Jordan from before you until
you had crossed over, as Yahweh your God
did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from
before us, until we had crossed over,
24 that all the peoples of the earth may
know that Yahweh’s hand is mighty, and
that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.’ ”