Bible, King James Version
Joshua
Josh.4
[1] And it came to pass, when all the people were clean
passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
[2] Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every
tribe a man,
[3] And 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 ye shall carry them over with you, and
leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this
night.
[4] Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had
prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
[5] And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of
the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every
man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number
of the tribes of the children of Israel:
[6] That this may be a sign among you, that when your
children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye
by these stones?
[7] Then ye shall answer them, That 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.
[8] And 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 carried them over with them unto the
place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
[9] And 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.
[10] For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst
of Jordan, until everything 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.
[11] And 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.
[12] And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad,
and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the
children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
[13] About forty thousand prepared for war passed over
before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
[14] On 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.
[15] And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
[16] Command the priests that bear the ark of the
testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
[17] Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come
ye up out of Jordan.
[18] And 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 land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their
place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
[19] And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day
of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of
Jericho.
[20] And those twelve stones, which they took out of
Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
[21] And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying,
When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come,
saying, What mean these stones?
[22] Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel
came over this Jordan on dry land.
[23] For 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 gone over:
[24] That all the people of the earth might know the hand
of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your
God for ever.
|