Joshua 4

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,	1 After the entire nation had crossed the Jordan,
2 "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,	2 the LORD said to Joshua, "Choose twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,
3 and command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'"	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."
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe;	4 Summoning the twelve men whom he had selected from among the Israelites, one from each tribe,
5 and Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,	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.
6 that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?'	6 In the future, these are to be a sign among you. When your children ask you what these stones mean to you,
7 Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever."	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."
8 And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.	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.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.	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.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste;	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,
11 and when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people.	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.
12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them;	12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, armed, marched in the vanguard of the Israelites, as Moses had ordered.
13 about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.	13 About forty thousand troops equipped for battle passed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.	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.
15 And the LORD said to Joshua,	15 Then the LORD said to Joshua,
16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan."	16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the commandments to come up from the Jordan."
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan."	17 Joshua did so,
18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.	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.
19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.	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.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.	20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones which had been taken from the Jordan,
21 And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?'	21 saying to the Israelites, "In the future, when the children among you ask their fathers what these stones mean,
22 then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.'	22 you shall inform them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan here on dry ground.'
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,	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;
24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."	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."