Joshua
Chapter 4
Skip to reading
Choose chapter (4 selected)
Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Joshua, saying,
2Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man, one man from a tribe,
3and command them, saying, Take up for yourselves, from here, from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and set them down in the lodging where you stay tonight.
4Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared from the sons of Israel, one man, one man from a tribe.
5Joshua said to them, Cross ahead of the chest of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you lift one stone onto his shoulder, for the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
6so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, saying, What are these stones to you?
7you shall say to them, The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the chest of the A solemn agreement that binds God and people. of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.. When it crossed in the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be a memorial for the sons of Israel forever.
8The sons of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded. They lifted twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. had spoken to Joshua, for the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, carried them over with them to the lodging, and set them down there.
9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, under the place where the feet of the priests who carried the chest of the A solemn agreement that binds God and people. stood, and they are there to this day.
10The priests who carried the chest stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried and crossed.
11When all the people had finished crossing, the chest of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. crossed, and the priests, ahead of the people.
12The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed in battle lines ahead of the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.
13About forty thousand, equipped for the army, crossed before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. for battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14On that day God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Joshua, saying,
16Command the priests who carry the chest of the The stone tablets of God’s agreement, kept in the chest. to come up out of the Jordan.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Ha-edut is the Testimony, as in the chest of the Testimony.
17Joshua commanded the priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan.
18When the priests who carried the chest of the A solemn agreement that binds God and people. of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. came up out of the middle of the Jordan, the soles of the priests’ feet were pulled onto the dry ground, and the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went, as yesterday and the day before, over all its banks.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Text
The written consonants are בעלות, “at the going up.” The Masoretic reading is כעלות, “as they went up.” The written “at the going up” is printed.
19The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal, on the eastern edge of Jericho.
20Those twelve stones, which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21He said to the sons of Israel, saying, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What are these stones?
22you shall let your children know, saying, Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground,
23because God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, as God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up before us until we had crossed,
24so that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., that it is strong, and so that you may fear God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God all the days.