Joshua 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 After the entire nation had crossed the Jordan,	1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 the LORD said to Joshua, "Choose twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,	2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 and instruct them to take up twelve stones from this spot in the bed of the Jordan where the priests have been standing motionless. Carry them over with you, and place them where you are to stay tonight."	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 Summoning the twelve men whom he had selected from among the Israelites, one from each tribe,	4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5 Joshua said to them: "Go to the bed of the Jordan in front of the ark of the LORD, your God; lift to your shoulders one stone apiece, so that they will equal in number the tribes of the Israelites.	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 In the future, these are to be a sign among you. When your children ask you what these stones mean to you,	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 you shall answer them, 'The waters of the Jordan ceased to flow before the ark of the covenant of the LORD when it crossed the Jordan.' Thus these stones are to serve as a perpetual memorial to the Israelites."	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 The twelve Israelites did as Joshua had commanded: they took up as many stones from the bed of the Jordan as there were tribes of the Israelites, and carried them along to the camp site, where they placed them, according to the LORD'S direction.	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 Joshua also had twelve stones set up in the bed of the Jordan on the spot where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant. They are there to this day.	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 The priests carrying the ark remained in the bed of the Jordan until everything had been done that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people. The people crossed over quickly,	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 when all had reached the other side, the ark of the LORD, borne by the priests, also crossed to its place in front of them.	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 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, armed, marched in the vanguard of the Israelites, as Moses had ordered.	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 troops equipped for battle passed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho.	13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and thenceforth during his whole life they respected him as they had respected Moses.	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 Then the LORD said to Joshua,	15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the commandments to come up from the Jordan."	16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua did so,	17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 and when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the bed of the Jordan, as the soles of their feet regained the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course and as before overflowed all its banks.	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 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.	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 At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones which had been taken from the Jordan,	20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 saying to the Israelites, "In the future, when the children among you ask their fathers what these stones mean,	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 you shall inform them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan here on dry ground.'	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 the Jordan in front of you until you crossed over, just as the LORD, your God, had done at the Red Sea, which he dried up in front of us until we crossed over;	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 in order that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD, your God, forever."	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.