Joshua 4
4
The Memorial Stones
1After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,#Jos 3:17 the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2“Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,#Jos 3:12 3and command them: Take twelve stones#Ex 28:21; 39:14; Jos 4:9,20; 1Kg 18:31 from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests#4:3 Lit feet of the priests, also in v. 9 are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, 5and 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, 6so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you? ’ #Ex 12:26–27; 13:8–9,14; Dt 6:20–24; Jos 4:21–22 7you 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.”#Ex 12:14; 28:12; 39:7; Lv 2:2; Nm 16:40; 31:54; Is 57:8; Zch 6:14
8The 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. 9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle#4:9 Or Now Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.#Jos 6:25
10The 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, 11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the Lord crossed in the sight of the people. 12The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites,#Nm 32:17 as Moses had instructed them. 13About forty thousand equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord’s presence.
14On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses.#Jos 3:7 15The Lord told Joshua, 16“Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony#Ex 25:16 to come up from the Jordan.”
17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet#4:18 Lit and the soles of the feet of the priests stepped out on solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks as before.
19The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,#Ex 12:3; Ezk 40:1 and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.#Dt 11:30 20Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, 21and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’#Jos 3:17 23For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,#Ex 14:21 just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. 24This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know#Ex 9:14–16; 14:31; 1Kg 8:42 that the Lord’s hand is strong,#Nm 11:23; Ps 89:13; Is 41:20; 59:1; 66:14 and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”#Ex 14:31; Dt 6:2; 10:12; 14:23; 31:12–13
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Joshua 4: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Yehoshua 4
4
1And it came to pass, when Kol HaGoy had completely passed over the Yarden, that Hashem spoke unto Yehoshua, saying,
2Take you Shneym Asar Anashim out of HaAm, out of every Shevet an ish,
3And command ye them, saying, Take you from here out of the middle of the Yarden, out of the place where the feet of the Kohanim stood firm, twelve avanim (stones), and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the malon (lodging place), where ye shall lodge halailah (tonight).
4Then Yehoshua called the Shneym Asar Ish, whom he had prepared of the Bnei Yisroel, out of every tribe an Ish;
5And Yehoshua said unto them, Pass over before the Aron Hashem Eloheichem into the middle of the Yarden, and take you up every ish of you an even (stone) upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the Shivtei Bnei Yisroel;
6That this may be an ot among you, that when your banim ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these avanim?
7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of the Yarden were cut off from before the Aron Brit Hashem; when it passed over the Yarden, the waters of the Yarden were cut off; and these avanim shall be for a zikaron (memorial) unto the Bnei Yisroel ad olam (forever).
8And the Bnei Yisroel did so just as Yehoshua commanded, and took up Shtei Esreh Avanim out of the middle of the Yarden, just as Hashem spoke unto Yehoshua, according to the number of the Shivtei Bnei Yisroel, and carried them over with them unto the malon where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9And Yehoshua set up Shteym Esreh Avanim in the middle of the Yarden, in the place where the feet of the Kohanim bearing the Aron HaBrit stood; and they are there unto this day.
10For the Kohanim bearing the Aron stood in the middle of the Yarden, until everything was finished that Hashem commanded Yehoshua to speak unto HaAm, according to all that Moshe commanded Yehoshua; and HaAm hurried and crossed over.
11And it came to pass, when Kol HaAm had completely crossed over, that the Aron Hashem crossed over, and the Kohanim, ahead of HaAm.
12And the Bnei Reuven, and the Bnei Gad, and the half-tribe of Menasheh, crossed over armed ahead of the Bnei Yisroel, just as Moshe directed them;
13About forty thousand, battle-ready, crossed over before Hashem for milchamah, to the plains of Yericho.
14On Yom Hahu Hashem magnified Yehoshua in the eyes of Kol Yisroel; and they feared him, just as they feared Moshe, all the days of his life.
15And Hashem spoke unto Yehoshua, saying,
16Command the Kohanim bearing the Aron HaEdut, so that they come up out of the Yarden.
17Yehoshua therefore commanded the Kohanim, saying, Come ye up out of the Yarden.
18And it came to pass, when the Kohanim bearing the Aron Brit Hashem were come up out of the middle of the Yarden, and the soles of the feet of the Kohanim were set on dry land, that the waters of the Yarden returned unto their place, and overflowed all its banks, as they did before.
19And HaAm came up out of the Yarden on the tenth day of the chodesh harishon, and camped at Gilgal, by the eastern border of Yericho.
20And those twelve avanim, which they took out of the Yarden, did Yehoshua set in a pile at Gilgal.
21And he spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, When your banim shall ask their avot in time to come, saying, What mean these avanim?
22Then ye shall let your banim know, saying, Yisroel crossed over this Yarden on yabashah (dry land).#4:22 Gn 1:9
23For Hashem Eloheichem dried up the waters of the Yarden from before you, until ye were passed over, just as Hashem Eloheichem did to Yam Suf, which He dried up from before us, until we were crossed over;
24So that Kol Ammei HaAretz (all the peoples of the earth) might know the Yad Hashem, that it is chazakah; so that ye might fear Hashem Eloheichem kol hayamim (all the days, forever).
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.