THE ORIGINAL BIBLE for Modern Readers
a copyright-free Bible in the public domain
OLD TESTAMENT
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Revelation
JOSHUA chapter
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
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1 When all the nation had completely crossed over
the Jordan, Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take twelve men out of the
people, a man out of every tribe, 3 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, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the
place where you’ll camp tonight.’”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had
prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe. 5 Joshua
said to them, “Cross before the ark of Jehovah 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; 6 that this may be
a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do
you mean by these stones?’ 7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters
of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Jehovah’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.’”
8 The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded,
and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Jehovah 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. 9 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. 10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in
the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah commanded
Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua;
and the people hurried and passed over. 11 When all the people had
completely crossed over, Jehovah’s ark crossed over, with the priests, in the
presence of the people.
12 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. 13 About forty thousand men, ready and
armed for war passed over before Jehovah to battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On
that day, Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared
him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command
the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the
Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying,
“Come up out of the Jordan!” 18 When the priests who bore the ark of Jehovah’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. 19 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.
20 Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they
took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal. 21 He spoke to the children of Israel,
saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do
these stones mean?’ 22 Then you shall let your children know, saying,
‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23 For Jehovah your God dried
up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had crossed over, as Jehovah
your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had
crossed over; 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that Jehovah’s
hand is mighty; that you may fear Jehovah your God forever.’”
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