Joshua 4 - Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

4 After the whole nation had finished crossing the Yarden, Adonai said to Y’hoshua, 2 “Take for yourselves from the people twelve men, a man from every tribe; 3 and give them this order: ‘Take twelve stones from the middle of the Yarden riverbed, where the cohanim are standing, carry them over with you and set them down in the place where you will camp tonight.’” 4 Y’hoshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Isra’el, a man from every tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go on ahead of the ark of Adonai your God into the riverbed of the Yarden. Then, each of you take a stone on his shoulder, corresponding to the number of tribes of the people of Isra’el. 6 This will be a sign for you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’ 7 you will answer them, ‘It’s because the water in the Yarden was cut off before the ark for the covenant of Adonai; when it crossed the Yarden, the water in the Yarden was cut off; and these stones are to be a reminder for the people of Isra’el forever.’”

8 The people of Isra’el did just as Y’hoshua had ordered. They took twelve stones out of the Yarden riverbed, as Adonai had said to Y’hoshua, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the people of Isra’el, carried them over with them to the place where they were camping, and set them down there. 9 Y’hoshua also set up twelve stones in the Yarden River itself, in the place where the feet of the cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant had stood. They are there to this day. 10 The cohanim carrying the ark stood in the Yarden riverbed until Y’hoshua had finished saying to the people everything that Adonai had ordered him to say, in keeping with everything that Moshe had ordered Y’hoshua; then the people hurried across. 11 When all the people had finished crossing, the ark of Adonai passed on, and the cohanim, ahead of the people. 12 The descendants of Re’uven, the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of M’nasheh went on, armed, ahead of the people of Isra’el, as Moshe had said to them; 13 some 40,000 armed soldiers ready for battle crossed in the presence of Adonai to the plains of Yericho.

14 That day Adonai made Y’hoshua great in full view of all Isra’el. They were in awe of him, just as they had been in awe of Moshe all his life.

15 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, 16 “Order the cohanim carrying the ark for the testimony to come up out of the Yarden.” 17 So Y’hoshua ordered the cohanim, “Come up out of the Yarden!” 18 The cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant of Adonai came up from the Yarden riverbed, and as soon as the soles of the feet of the cohanim touched dry ground, the water of the Yarden returned to its place and the river overflowed its banks as it had before.

19 The people came up out of the Yarden on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal, by the eastern boundary of Yericho. 20 Those twelve stones which they took out of the Yarden, Y’hoshua piled up at Gilgal. 21 Then he said to the people of Isra’el, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers what these stones mean, 22 you are to explain it to them by saying, ‘Isra’el came over this Yarden on dry land. 23 For Adonai your God dried up the water in the Yarden from in front of you, until you had crossed, just as Adonai your God did to the Sea of Suf, which he dried up from in front of us, until we had crossed. 24 From this all the peoples of the earth can know that the hand of Adonai is strong, and you can fear Adonai your God forever.’”

You Might Also Like:

Joshua 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying, 2 `Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man -- one man out of a tribe; 3 and command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this [place], from the midst of the Jor...
Read More

Joshua 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 And when the sons of Israel were passed over (the) Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, (And when all the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan River, the Lord said to Joshua,) 2 Choose thou twelve men, by each lineage one man, (Choose thou twelve men, one man out of each tribe,) 3 and command thou t...
Read More

Joshua 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, ...
Read More

Joshua 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 When the last one had crossed the Jordan, the Eternal One spoke to Joshua. Eternal One: 2 Summon the twelve men you chose from the people, one representing each tribe, 3 and tell them to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan riverbed where the priests stand with the covenant chest. Tel...
Read More

Joshua 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Twelve Memorial Stones4 Now when all the nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, Adonai spoke to Joshua saying: 2 “Take for yourself twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the plac...
Read More

Joshua 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ fee...
Read More

Joshua 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ fee...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal4 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ fee...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal4 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 2 ‘Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them, “Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ fee...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal4 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,(A)3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ fee...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Memorials to the Jordan Crossing4 When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 3 Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at th...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

4 When all the nation had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man from each family. 3 Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan. Take them from the place where the religious leaders’ feet are standing. Carry them over with you, ...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Memorial Stones4 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed (A)over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 (B)“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, ...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and 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 pu...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New International Version (NIV)

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones(C) from the middle of the Jordan,(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with ...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

4 After the whole nation had gone across the Jordan River, the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, 2 “Choose 12 men from among the people. Choose one from each tribe. 3 Tell them to get 12 stones from the middle of the river. They must pick them up from right where the priests stood. They must carry th...
Read More

Joshua 4 - New English Translation (NET)

Israel Commemorates the Crossing4 When the entire nation was on the other side,[a] the Lord told Joshua, 2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. 3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests[b] stand firmly,...
Read More