Joshua 4
4
Twelve Memorial Stones
1#Dt 27:2; Jos 3:17When the entire people had completed crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2#Jos 3:12“Take twelve men from among the people, one man per tribe. 3#Jos 4:19–20; 3:13Command 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.’ ”
4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from among the children of Israel, one man per tribe. 5Then 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#Ex 13:14; Jos 4:21so that this will be a sign among you. When your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7#Ex 12:14; Nu 16:40you 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.”
8Then 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. 9Joshua also set twelve stones inthe 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.
10The 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. 11When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12The 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. 13About forty thousand battle-ready men crossed over before the Lord for battle on the plains of Jericho.
14#Jos 3:7On 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.
15The Lord spoke to Joshua, 16“Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony: ‘Come up out of the Jordan!’ ”
17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan!”
18#Jos 3:15Then 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#Jos 5:9Now 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#Jos 4:3; 4:8Joshua set up in Gilgal those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan. 21#Jos 4:6He said to the children of Israel, “When your children someday ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22#Jos 3:17then you shall explain to your children, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground!’ 23#Ex 14:21For 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#Ex 14:31; Ps 89:13so 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.”
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Joshua 4: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Joshua 4
4
1And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, 2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. 8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there, unto this day.
10For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. 11And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. 12And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: 13about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On 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. 15And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, 16Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan. 17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. 18And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime. 19And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.
20And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? 22Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over: 24that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that they may fear the LORD your God for ever.
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