Joshua 4
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1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,1As soon as the entire nation had completed its crossing of the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua. He said,
2"Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,2"Gather together twelve men from the people—one man from each tribe—
3and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight."3and tell them, 'Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests' feet were standing, bring them along with you, and put them down where you camp tonight.'"
4So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,4So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Israel, one man from each tribe.
5and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,5Joshua told them, "Cross over again in front of the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan River. Then each of you pick up a stone on his shoulder with which to build a memorial, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'6Let this serve as a sign among you, so that when your children ask in times to come, 'What do these stones mean to you,'
7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was 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 are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."7then you'll say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan River were cut off in front of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan River, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So these stones will become a memorial to the Israelis forever."
8So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.8The Israelis did just as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River—just as the LORD had spoken to Joshua—according to the number of the tribes of the Israelis, and they carried them over to where they would be pitching camp, and they put them down there.
9Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.9Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River at the location where the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had been standing, and they remain there to this day.
10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over,10The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan River until everything had been done in accordance with what the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people and with everything that Moses had commanded Joshua. So the people hurried and crossed over.
11and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched.11When all of the people had completed their crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in full view of the people.
12The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them.12Just as Moses had directed, the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, dressed in battle regalia, in full view of the other Israelis.
13About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war.13About 40,000 soldiers equipped to do battle in the LORD's presence crossed over to the desert plains of Jericho.
14That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.14That day, the LORD exalted Joshua in the presence of all Israel so that they revered him just as they had revered Moses throughout his life.
15Then the LORD said to Joshua,15Now the LORD had told Joshua,
16"Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan."16"Command the priests who carry the Ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan River."
17So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan."17So Joshua ordered the priests, "Come up from the Jordan River."
18And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.18As soon as the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan River, and the soles of the priests' feet came up to dry ground, the water of the Jordan River returned to normal, covering its banks as it had done so before.
19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.19The people came up from the Jordan River on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern outskirts of Jericho.
20And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.20Joshua set up the twelve stones that they had removed from the Jordan River at Gilgal.
21He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'21Then he told the Israelis, "When your descendants ask their parents in years to come, 'What is the meaning of these stones?'
22tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'22you are to tell your descendants: 'Israel crossed this Jordan River on dry ground
23For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.23because the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan River right in front of you, until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God had done to the Reed Sea—which he had dried up in front of us until we had crossed it also.'
24He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."24Do this so that all of the people of the earth may know how strong the power of the LORD is, and so that you may fear the LORD your God every day."
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Joshua 3
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