Joshua 4

Memorial Stones from Jordan

4Now it came about when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,H1471H8552H5674H3383H3068H559H3091H5592"Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,H3947H8147H6240H582H5971H259H7626H3763and command them, saying, 'Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.' "H6680H559H5375H8432H3383H3548H7272H4673H3559H8147H6240H68H5674H3240H4411H3885H39154So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;H3091H7121H8147H6240H376H3559H1121H3478H259H7626H3765and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.H3091H559H5674H6440H727H3068H430H8432H3383H7311H259H376H68H7926H4557H7626H1121H34786"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'H226H7130H1121H7592H4279H559H687then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. "H559H4325H3383H3772H6440H727H1285H3068H5674H3383H4325H3383H3772H68H2146H1121H3478H5704H57698And thus the sons of Israel did, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place, and put them down there.H1121H3478H6213H3091H6680H5375H8147H6240H68H8432H3383H3068H1696H3091H4557H7626H1121H3478H5674H4411H32409Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day.H3091H6965H8147H6240H68H8432H3383H7272H3548H5375H727H1285H4673H311710For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed;H3548H5375H727H5975H8432H3383H1697H8552H3068H6680H3091H1696H5971H4872H6680H3091H5971H4116H567411and it came about when all the people had finished crossing, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed before the people.H5971H8552H5674H727H3068H5674H3548H6440H597112And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle array before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them;H1121H7205H1121H1410H2677H7626H4519H5674H2571H6440H1121H3478H4872H169613about 400000, equipped for war, crossed for battle before the LORD to the desert plains of Jericho.H705H505H2502H6635H5674H6440H3068H4421H6160H340514On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; so that they revered him, just as they had revered Moses all the days of his life.H3117H3068H1431H3091H5869H3478H3372H3372H4872H3117H241615Now the LORD said to Joshua,H3068H559H3091H55916"Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan."H6680H3548H5375H727H5715H5927H338317So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan."H3091H6680H3548H559H5927H338318And it came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.H3548H5375H727H1285H3068H5927H8432H3383H3709H3548H7272H5423H2724H4325H3383H7725H4725H3212H1415H8543H803219Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho.H5971H5927H3383H6218H7223H2320H2583H1537H4217H7097H340520And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.H8147H6240H68H3947H3383H3091H6965H153721And he said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'H559H1121H3478H559H1121H7592H1H4279H559H6822then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.'H1121H3045H559H3478H5674H3383H300423"For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed;H3068H430H3001H4325H3383H6440H5674H3068H430H6213H5488H3220H3001H6440H567424that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever. "H5971H776H3045H3027H3068H2389H3372H3068H430H3117