Yosua 4:1-7

Israel Commemorates the Crossing

4:1 When the entire nation was on the other side, ¹  the Lord told Joshua, 4:2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. 4:3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests ²  stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”

4:4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 4:5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. 4:6 The stones ³  will be a reminder to you. ⁴  When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 4:7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing ⁵  before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing. ⁶  These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”

[4:1]  ¹ tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

[4:3]  ² tn Heb “the feet of the priests.”

[4:6]  ³ tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”

[4:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “were cut off from before.”

[4:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”