The Book of Joshua

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

And when all the people were wholy gone ouer Iorden, (after the Lord had spoken vnto Ioshua, saying,

Take you twelue me out of the people, out of euery tribe a man,

And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the middes of Iorden, out of the place where the Priestes stoode in a readinesse, twelue stones, which ye shall take away with you, and leaue them in the lodging where you shall lodge this night)

Then Ioshua called the twelue men, whome he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery tribe a man,

And Ioshua said vnto them, Go ouer before the Arke of the Lord your God, euen through the middes of Iorden, and take vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder according vnto the nomber of the tribes of the children of Israel,

That this may bee a signe among you, that whe your children shall aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane you by these stones?

Then ye may answere them, That the waters of Iorden were cut off before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord: for when it passed through Iorden, the waters of Iorden were cut off: therefore these stones are a memoriall vnto the children of Israel for euer.

Then ye children of Israel did euen so as Ioshua had commanded, and tooke vp twelue stones out of the mids of Iorden as ye Lord had said vnto Ioshua, according to the nomber of the tribes of the children of Israel, and caried them away with them vnto the lodging, and layd them down there.

And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the middes of Iorden, in the place where the feete of the Priests, which bare the Arke of the couenant stood, and there haue they continued vnto this day.

So the Priests, which bare ye Arke, stoode in the middes of Iorden, vntill euery thing was finished that ye Lord had comanded Ioshua to say vnto the people, according to all that Moses charged Ioshua: then the people hasted and went ouer.

When all the people were cleane passed ouer, the Arke of the Lord went ouer also, and the Priests before the people.

And the sonnes of Reuben, and the sonnes of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh went ouer before the children of Israel armed, as Moses had charged them.

Euen fourty thousand prepared for warre, went before the Lord vnto battel, into ye plaine of Iericho.

That day the Lord magnified Ioshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses all dayes of his life.

And the Lord spake vnto Ioshua, saying,

Commande the Priests that beare ye Arke of the testimonie, to come vp out of Iorden.

Ioshua therefore commanded the Priests, saying, Come ye vp out of Iorden.

And when the Priests that bare the Arke of the couenant of ye Lord were come vp out of the middes of Iorden, and assoone as the soles of the Priests feete were set on the dry land, the waters of Iorde returned vnto their place, and flowed ouer all the bankes thereof, as they did before.

The Camp at Gilgal

So the people came vp out of Iorden the tenth day of the first moneth, and pitched in Gilgal, in the Eastside of Iericho.

Also the twelue stones, which they tooke out of Iorden, did Ioshua pitch in Gilgal.

And he spake vnto ye childre of Israel, saying, When your children shall aske their fathers in time to come, and say, What meane these stones?

Then ye shall shew your children, and say, Israel came ouer this Iorden on dry land:

For the Lord your God dryed vp ye waters of Iorden before you, vntill ye were gone ouer, as the Lord your God did the red Sea, which hee dryed vp before vs, till we were gone ouer,

That all the people of the worlde may know that the hand of the Lord is mightie, that ye might feare the Lord your God continually.

When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,

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, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’”

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.

Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”

The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.

Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.

When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people.

The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

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.

The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.”

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

The Camp at Gilgal

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’

Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over,

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’”