Joshua Chapter 4

Memorial to the Jordan Crossing

¹ When they’d crossed, the LORD told Joshua,

² “Appoint a man from each tribe ³ to take a rock from the Jordan, carry it over, and lay it down where they’ll spend the night.”

⁴ Joshua called the twelve men,

⁵ “Go on past the Ark to the middle of the Jordan and pick up a rock onto your shoulder. ⁶ They’ll be a sign when your children ask what these rocks mean. ⁷ Tell them the Jordan River held back ahead of the Ark as it crossed. These rocks serve as a permanent memorial for Israelites.”

⁸ They picked up 12 rocks out of the Jordan, carried them over to where they would spend the night, and laid them down. ⁹ Then Joshua set up 12 rocks in the Jordan where the priests had stood. They’re still there. ¹⁰ The priests stood in the Jordan till everything happened that the LORD had Joshua tell the people.

Josh 4:1-10a

The people crossed in a hurry. ¹¹ Then the priests and the Ark went on over. ¹² Reuben, Gad, and the Manasseh half-tribe also went over to the plains by Jericho— ¹³ about 40,000. ¹⁴ That day the LORD elevated Joshua in Israel. They stood in awe of him all his life.

¹⁵ The LORD said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Tell the priests that are carrying the Ark to come up out of the Jordan.” [ ¹⁷ ] ¹⁸ When they’d come up, the water went back to overflowing its banks.

¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day, first month, and camped at Gilgal east of Jericho. ²⁰ Joshua set up the 12 stones from the Jordan at Gilgal ²¹ and told the people,

“When your descendants ask what these stones mean, ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry riverbed. ²³ The LORD our God dried up the water till we crossed it like he did at the Red Sea.’ ²⁴ Everybody in the world will know the LORD is powerful, and you’ll respect him forever.”                                                                   

Josh 4:10b-24