Joshua 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua and said,	1 After the entire nation had crossed the Jordan,
2 'Choose twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, and give them this order,	2 the LORD said to Joshua, "Choose twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,
3 "Here, from mid-Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet were standing, take twelve stones; carrythem with you and set them down in the camp where you pass the night." '	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 Joshua cal ed the twelve men whom he had selected from the Israelites, one 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, 'Go on ahead of the ark of Yahweh your God into mid-Jordan, and each ofyou take one stone on his shoulder, corresponding to the number of the tribes 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 to make this a sign among you; and when, in the future, your children ask you, "What do these stonesmean for 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 you will then tell them, "The waters of the Jordan separated before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh;when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the river separated. These stones are an everlasting reminder of thisto the Israelites."	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 The Israelites did as Joshua ordered; they took twelve stones from mid-Jordan corresponding to thenumber of the tribes of Israel, as Yahweh had told Joshua; they carried them over to the camp and set themdown 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 Joshua then erected twelve stones in mid-Jordan, on the spot where the feet of the priests carrying theark of the covenant had stood; and they are stil there today.	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 The priests carrying the ark stood stil in mid-Jordan, until everything had been done that Yahweh hadordered Joshua to tel the people (in accordance with everything that Moses had ordered Joshua); and thepeople hurried across.	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 When the people had finished crossing, the ark of Yahweh then crossed, with the priests, to the headof 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, the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed in battle formation at thehead of the Israelites, as Moses had told them.	12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, armed, marched in the vanguard of the Israelites, as Moses had ordered.
13 Some forty thousand warriors in arms, they crossed in Yahweh's presence, ready for battle, towardsthe plain of Jericho.	13 About forty thousand troops equipped for battle passed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho.
14 That day, Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, who respected him as they hadrespected Moses, as long as he lived.	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 Yahweh said to Joshua,	15 Then the LORD said to Joshua,
16 'Order the priests carrying 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 And Joshua gave the order to the priests, 'Come up, out of the Jordan!'	17 Joshua did so,
18 Now, when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up out of mid-Jordan, nosooner had the soles of the priests' feet touched solid ground, than the waters of the Jordan returned to their bedand ran on, in spate 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 It was the tenth day of the first month when the people came up from the Jordan and made their campat Gilgal, on the eastern 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 As regards those twelve stones, which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set them up at Gilgal.	20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones which had been taken from the Jordan,
21 He then said to the Israelites, 'When, in the future, your children ask their fathers, "What are thesestones?"	21 saying to the Israelites, "In the future, when the children among you ask their fathers what these stones mean,
22 you wil explain to your children, "Israel crossed this Jordan dry-shod.	22 you shall inform them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan here on dry ground.'
23 For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of you until you had crossed, just asYahweh your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up before us until we had crossed it;	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 al the peoples of the earth may know how mighty the hand of Yahweh is, and always stand inawe of Yahweh your God." '	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."