Joshua 04 The twelve stones taken from the middle of Jordan

Joshua 04

The twelve stones taken from the middle of Jordan

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had passed over Jordan, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,

2 Take from the people twelve men, from each tribe one man;

3 And send unto them, saying, Take from thence, from the midst of Jordan, from the seat of the feet of the priests, twelve stones; and take them with you to the other side and put them in the room where you are to spend tonight.

4 And Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the children of Israel; one man out of every tribe;

5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass before the ark of the LORD your God in the midst of the Jordan; And let each man lift a stone upon his shoulder according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel.

6 That this may be a sign among you. and when your children ask in the future, saying, What mean these stones to you?

7 Then shall ye say unto them, The waters of Jordan were separated before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; And as she passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan parted: So shall these stones be for ever a memorial to the children of Israel.

8 So the children of Israel did as Joshua had commanded, and they lifted up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as Jehovah had said to Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: and they brought them with them into the quarters, and laid them there. .

9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place of the seat of the feet of the priests, which bore the ark of the covenant: and they are there unto this day.

10 And the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until they were fulfilled, as Jehovah had commanded Joshua to do unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and passed.

11 And it came to pass, as soon as all the people had passed away, that the ark of the LORD passed away, and the priests in the sight of the people.

12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, armed before the children of Israel, passed over, as Moses had said unto them;

13 Forty thousand armed men of war went before the LORD to battle to the plains of Jericho.

14 In that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel: and they feared him, as he had feared Moses all the days of his life.

15 And Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,

16 Commands the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they go up from the Jordan.

17 And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, Come up from the Jordan.

18 And it came to pass, as the priests, who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they came up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the sole of the priests' feet went dry, and the waters of the Jordan came into their place, and ran as they did. rather, on all its banks.

19 And the people of Jordan went up on the tenth day of the first month, and they lodged in Gilgal of the east side of Jericho.

20 And the twelve stones which they had taken from Jordan raised up Joshua in Gilgal.

21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When in the future shall your children ask their fathers, saying, What meaneth these stones?

22 And ye shall tell your children, saying, Israel has passed over this Jordan.

23 For the LORD your God hath made the waters of the Jordan dry before you, until ye pass away: as the LORD your God hath made to the Red Sea, which He dried before us, till we pass.

24 That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, who is strong; that ye may fear the LORD your God daily.