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Joshua 4:3-7
New English Translation
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.”
Joshua 4:3-7
New International Version
Joshua 4:3-7
New International Version
3 and tell them to take up twelve stones(A) from the middle of the Jordan,(B) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.(C)”
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men(D) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.(E) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign(F) among you. In the future, when your children(G) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(H) 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(I) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial(J) to the people of Israel forever.”
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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