The Book of Joshua

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

And when they were passed over, the Lord said to Josue:

Choose twelve men, one of every tribe:

And command them to take out of the midst of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, twelve very hard stones, which you shall set in the place of the camp, where you shall pitch your tents this night.

And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,

And he said to them: Go before the ark of the Lord your God to the midst of the Jordan, and carry from thence every man a stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the children of Israel,

That it may be a sign among you and when your children shall ask you tomorrow, saying: What mean these stones?

You shall answer them: The waters of the Jordan ran off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it passed over the same: therefore were these atones set for a monument of the children of Israel for ever.

The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

And Josue put other twelve stones in the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood that carried the ark of the covenant: and they are there until this present day.

Now the priests that carried the ark, stood in the midst of the Jordan till all things were accomplished which the Lord had commanded Josue to speak to the people, and Moses had said to him. And the people made haste and passed over.

And when they had all passed over, the ark also of the Lord passed over, and the priests went before the people.

The children of Ruben also and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, went armed before the children of Israel as Moses had commanded them.

And forty thousand fighting men by their troops, and bands, marched through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

In that day the Lord magnified Josue in the sight of all Israel, that they should fear him, as they had feared Moses, while he lived.

And he said to him:

Command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.

And he commanded them, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan.

And when they that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up, and began to tread on the dry ground, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were wont before.

The Camp at Gilgal

And the people came up out of the Jordan, the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Galgal, over against the east side of the city of Jericho.

And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal,

And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, tomorrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

You shall teach them and say: Israel passed over this Jordan through the dry channel.

The Lord your God drying up the waters thereof in your sight, until you passed over:

As he had done before in the Red Sea, which he dried up till we passed through:

That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.

When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,

and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’”

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.

Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”

The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.

Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.

When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people.

The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

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.

The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.”

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

The Camp at Gilgal

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’

Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over,

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’”