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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Joshua 4 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/joshua/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/joshua/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ISV</a> > Joshua 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../joshua/3.htm" title="Joshua 3">◄</a> Joshua 4 <a href="../joshua/5.htm" title="Joshua 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/joshua/4.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">The Jordan River Memorial</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>As soon as the entire nation had completed its crossing of the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua. He said, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“Gather together twelve men from the people—one man from each tribe— <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>and tell them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests’ feet were standing, bring them along with you, and put them down where you camp tonight.’”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Israel, one man from each tribe. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Joshua told them, “Cross over again in front of the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan River. Then each of you pick up a stone on his shoulder with which to build a memorial,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:5 The Heb. lacks with which to build a memorial">a</a></span> one for each of the tribes of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Let this serve as<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:6 Lit. this be">b</a></span> a sign among you, so that when your children ask in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean to you,’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>then you’ll say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan River were cut off in front of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan River, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones will become a memorial to the Israelis forever.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>The Israelis did just as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River—just as the LORD had spoken to Joshua—according to the number of the tribes of the Israelis, and they carried them over to where they would be pitching camp, and they put them down there. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River at the location where the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had been standing, and they remain there to this day.</p> <p class="heading">Crossing the Jordan River</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan River until everything had been done in accordance with what the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people and with everything that Moses had commanded Joshua. So the people hurried and crossed over. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>When all of the people had completed their crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in full view of the people. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Just as Moses had directed, the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, dressed in battle regalia, in full view of the other<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:12 The Heb. lacks other">c</a></span> Israelis. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>About 40,000 soldiers equipped to do battle in the LORD’s presence crossed over to the desert plains of Jericho.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>That day, the LORD exalted Joshua in the presence of all Israel so that they revered him just as they had revered Moses throughout his life.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Now the LORD had told Joshua, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>“Command the priests who carry the Ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan River.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So Joshua ordered the priests, “Come up from the Jordan River.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>As soon as the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan River, and the soles of the priests’ feet came up to dry ground, the water of the Jordan River returned to normal,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:18 Lit. to its place">d</a></span> covering its banks as it had done so before.</p> <p class="heading">Why Joshua Set up the Memorial</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>The people came up from the Jordan River on the tenth day<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:19 The Heb. lacks day">e</a></span> of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern outskirts of Jericho. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Joshua set up the twelve stones that they had removed from the Jordan River at Gilgal. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then he told the Israelis, “When your descendants ask their parents in years to come, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>you are to tell your descendants: ‘Israel crossed this Jordan River on dry ground <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>because the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan River right in front of you, until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God had done to the Reed<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:23 So MT; LXX reads Red">f</a></span> Sea—which he had dried up in front of us until we had crossed it also.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/4-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Do this<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:24 The Heb. lacks Do this">g</a></span> so that all of the people of the earth may know how strong the power<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="4:24 Lit. hand">h</a></span> of the LORD is, and so that you may fear the LORD your God every day.”</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 4:5 The Heb. lacks <i>with which to build a memorial</i><br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 4:6 Lit. <i>this be</i><br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 4:12 The Heb. lacks <i>other</i><br /><span class="fnb">d</span> 4:18 Lit. <i>to its place</i><br /><span class="fnb">e</span> 4:19 The Heb. lacks <i>day</i><br /><span class="fnb">f</span> 4:23 So MT; LXX reads <i>Red</i><br /><span class="fnb">g</span> 4:24 The Heb. lacks <i>Do this</i><br /><span class="fnb">h</span> 4:24 Lit. <i>hand</i><br /></span><br><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><div align="center"><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1<br />Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation<br />ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../joshua/3.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Joshua 3"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Joshua 3" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../joshua/5.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Joshua 5"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Joshua 5" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/joshua/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><div align="center" style="background-color:#F2FAFF"><br /><br /><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 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