Joshua 4

MSTC^{(i) 1} And as soon as the people were all gone over Jordan, the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, ² "Take you twelve men out of the people, of every tribe a man. ³ And command you them, saying, 'Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, even out of the place where the priests stood in a readiness, twelve stones. And take ye them away with you and put them in the place where you lodge at night.'" ⁴ And Joshua called unto the twelve men which he had prepared of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man, ⁵ and said unto them, "Get you before the ark of the LORD your God, even into the midst of Jordan, and take up every man a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. And when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What mean ye with these stones?' ⁷ Then say unto them, 'How that the water of Jordan divided at the presence of the ark of the covenant of the LORD: even while it went over Jordan, the water of Jordan divided.' And these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel forever." ⁸ And the children of Israel did even so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD said unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. ⁹ And thereto 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 there they be, even unto this day. ¹⁰ For the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until all was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to say unto the people, according to all that Moses charged Joshua. And the people hasted and went over. ¹¹ When all the people were clean over, then went over the ark of the LORD, and also the priests before the people. ¹² And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh went before the children of Israel, armed, as Moses charged them. ¹³ About forty thousand, trimmed for war, went before the LORD unto battle; even unto the wild fields of Jericho. ¹⁴ 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 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, ¹⁶ "Command the priests that bear the ark of witness to come up out of Jordan." ¹⁷ And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, "Ascend up out of Jordan." ¹⁸ And when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were ascended out of Jordan — as soon as the soles of the priests' feet were brought to dry land — the water of Jordan returned again to his place and went over all his banks as he did before. ¹⁹ And the people came up out of Jordan the tenth day of the first month and pitched in Gilgal even in the east borders of Jericho. ²⁰ And the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua pitched in Gilgal. ²¹ And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, "When your children ask you in time to come saying, 'What mean these stones?' ²² Show your children and say, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.' ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the water of Jordan before you, until ye were over, as the LORD your God did unto the reed sea, which he dried up before us till we were over; ²⁴ that all the people of the world may know the hand of the LORD how mighty it is, and that ye might fear the LORD your God forever."