Josua 4

1And when they were passed over, the Lord said to Josue:

2Choose twelve men, one of every tribe:

3And command them to take out of the midst of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, twelve very hard stones, which you shall set in the place of the camp, where you shall pitch your tents this night.

4And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,

5And he said to them: Go before the ark of the Lord your God to the midst of the Jordan, and carry from thence every man a stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the children of Israel,

6That it may be a sign among you and when your children shall ask you tomorrow, saying: What mean these stones?

7You shall answer them: The waters of the Jordan ran off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it passed over the same: therefore were these atones set for a monument of the children of Israel for ever.

8The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

9And Josue put other twelve stones in the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood that carried the ark of the covenant: and they are there until this present day.

10Now the priests that carried the ark, stood in the midst of the Jordan till all things were accomplished which the Lord had commanded Josue to speak to the people, and Moses had said to him. And the people made haste and passed over.

11And when they had all passed over, the ark also of the Lord passed over, and the priests went before the people.

12The children of Ruben also and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, went armed before the children of Israel as Moses had commanded them.

13And forty thousand fighting men by their troops, and bands, marched through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

14In that day the Lord magnified Josue in the sight of all Israel, that they should fear him, as they had feared Moses, while he lived.

15And he said to him:

16Command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.

17And he commanded them, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan.

18And when they that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up, and began to tread on the dry ground, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were wont before.

19And the people came up out of the Jordan, the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Galgal, over against the east side of the city of Jericho.

20And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal,

21And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, tomorrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

22You shall teach them and say: Israel passed over this Jordan through the dry channel.

23The Lord your God drying up the waters thereof in your sight, until you passed over:

24As he had done before in the Red Sea, which he dried up till we passed through:

25That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.

1Quibus transgressis, dixit Dominus ad Josue:

2Elige duodecim viros singulos per singulas tribus:

3et præcipe eis ut tollant de medio Jordanis alveo, ubi steterunt pedes sacerdotum, duodecim durissimos lapides, quos ponetis in loco castrorum, ubi fixeritis hac nocte tentoria.

4Vocavitque Josue duodecim viros, quos elegerat de filiis Israël, singulos de singulis tribubus,

5et ait ad eos: Ite ante arcam Domini Dei vestri ad Jordanis medium, et portate inde singuli singulos lapides in humeris vestris, juxta numerum filiorum Israël,

6ut sit signum inter vos: et quando interrogaverint vos filii vestri cras, dicentes: Quid sibi volunt isti lapides?

7respondebitis eis: Defecerunt aquæ Jordanis ante arcam fœderis Domini, cum transiret eum: idcirco positi sunt lapides isti in monimentum filiorum Israël usque in æternum.

8Fecerunt ergo filii Israël sicut præcepit eis Josue, portantes de medio Jordanis alveo duodecim lapides, ut Dominus ei imperarat, juxta numerum filiorum Israël, usque ad locum in quo castrametati sunt, ibique posuerunt eos.

9Alios quoque duodecim lapides posuit Josue in medio Jordanis alveo, ubi steterunt sacerdotes qui portabant arcam fœderis: et sunt ibi usque in præsentem diem.

10Sacerdotes autem qui portabant arcam, stabant in Jordanis medio, donec omnia complerentur, quæ Josue, ut loqueretur ad populum, præceperat Dominus, et dixerat ei Moyses. Festinavitque populus, et transiit.

11Cumque transissent omnes, transivit et arca Domini, sacerdotesque pergebant ante populum.

12Filii quoque Ruben, et Gad, et dimidia tribus Manasse, armati præcedebant filios Israël, sicut eis præceperat Moyses:

13et quadraginta pugnatorum millia per turmas, et cuneos, incedebant per plana atque campestria urbis Jericho.

14In die illo magnificavit Dominus Josue coram omni Israël, ut timerent eum, sicut timuerant Moysen, dum adviveret.

15Dixitque ad eum:

16Præcipe sacerdotibus, qui portant arcam fœderis, ut ascendant de Jordane.

17Qui præcepit eis, dicens: Ascendite de Jordane.

18Cumque ascendissent portantes arcam fœderis Domini, et siccam humum calcare cœpissent, reversæ sunt aquæ in alveum suum, et fluebant sicut ante consueverant.

19Populus autem ascendit de Jordane decimo die mensis primi, et castrametati sunt in Galgalis contra orientalem plagam urbis Jericho.

20Duodecim quoque lapides, quos de Jordanis alveo sumpserant, posuit Josue in Galgalis,

21et dixit ad filios Israël: Quando interrogaverint filii vestri cras patres suos, et dixerint eis: Quid sibi volunt lapides isti?

22docebitis eos, atque dicetis: Per arentem alveum transivit Israël Jordanem istum,

23siccante Domino Deo vestro aquas ejus in conspectu vestro, donec transiretis,

24sicut fecerat prius in mari Rubro, quod siccavit donec transiremus:

25ut discant omnes terrarum populi fortissimam Domini manum, ut et vos timeatis Dominum Deum vestrum omni tempore.

1And when they had crossed over, the Lord said to Joshua:

2“Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,

3and instruct them so that they may take from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood still, twelve very hard stones, which you shall station in the place of the camp, where you will pitch your tents this night.”

4And Joshua called twelve men, whom he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,

5and he said to them: “Go before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each one carry from there one stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the sons of Israel,

6so that it may be a sign among you. And when your sons will ask you, tomorrow, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7you shall respond to them: ‘The waters of the Jordan failed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when the ark crossed over it. For this reason, these stones were placed as a monument for the sons of Israel, even forever.’ ”

8Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.

9Similarly, Joshua positioned another twelve stones in the middle of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant; and they are there, even to the present day.

10Now the priests who were carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was accomplished which the Lord had instructed Joshua to speak to the people and which Moses had said to him. And the people hurried, and they passed over.

11And when they had all crossed, the ark of the Lord also crossed, and the priests advanced before the people.

12Likewise, the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh advanced with weapons before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had instructed them.

13And forty thousand fighters, by companies and divisions, advanced through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

14In that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they would fear him, just as they had feared Moses while he lived.

15And he said to him,

16“Command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to ascend from the Jordan.”

17And he commanded them, saying, “Ascend from the Jordan.”

18And when those who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord had ascended, and they began to step on dry soil, the waters returned to their channel, and they flowed as they usually did before.

19Now the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, opposite the eastern portion of the city of Jericho.

20Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.

21And he said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons will question their fathers, tomorrow, and they will say to them, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

22you shall teach them, and you shall say: ‘Israel passed over this Jordan, through the dry channel.’

23For the Lord your God dried up its waters in your sight, until you crossed over,

24just as he had done before, at the Red Sea, which he dried up until we crossed over.

25So may all the peoples of the earth learn of the very powerful hand of the Lord. So may you also fear the Lord your God for all time.”