Joshua 4:3-7
New English Translation
3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests[a] stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”
4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 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. 6 The stones[b] will be a reminder to you.[c] When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing[d] before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing.[e] These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 4:3 tn Heb “the feet of the priests.”
- Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 4:6 tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”
- Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “were cut off from before.”
- Joshua 4:7 tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”
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