Joshua 4

vayehi ka'asher-tammu khol-haggoy la'avor et-hayyarden vayyomer Adonai el-yehoshua lemor

When the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, GOD said to Joshua,

qekhu lakhem min-ha'am shenem asar anashim ish-ekhad ish-ekhad mishavet

“Select twelve individuals from among the people, one from each tribe,

vetsavvu otam lemor se'u-lakhem mizzeh mittokh hayyarden mimmatsav ragle hakkohanim hakhin shetem-esreh avanim veha'avartem otam immakhem vehinnakhtem otam bammalon asher-talinu vo hallayelah

and instruct them as follows: Pick up twelve stones from the spot exactly in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests’ feet are standing; take them along with you and deposit them in the place where you will spend the night.”

vayyiqra yehoshua el-shenem he'asar ish asher hekhin mibbene yisra'el ish-ekhad ish-ekhad mishavet

Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had designated among the Israelites, one from each tribe;

vayyomer lahem yehoshua ivru lifne aron Adonai elohekhem el-tokh hayyarden veharimu lakhem ish even akhat al-shikhmo lemispar shivte vene-yisra'el

and Joshua said to them, “Walk up to the Ark of the ETERNAL your God, in the middle of the Jordan, and each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder—corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

lema'an tihyeh zot ot beqirbekhem ki-yishalun benekhem makhar lemor mah ha'avanim ha'elleh lakhem

This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones for you?’

va'amartem lahem asher nikhretu meme hayyarden mippene aron berit-Adonai be'ovro bayyarden nikhretu me hayyarden vehayu ha'avanim ha'elleh lezikkaron livne yisra'el ad-olam

you shall tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of GOD’s Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And so these stones shall serve the people of Israel as a memorial for all time.”

vayya'asu-khen bene-yisra'el ka'asher tsivvah yehoshua vayyisu shete-esreh avanim mittokh hayyarden ka'asher dibber Adonai el-yehoshua lemispar shivte vene-yisra'el vayya'avirum immam el-hammalon vayyannikhum sham

The Israelites did as Joshua ordered. They picked up twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel, from the middle of the Jordan—as GOD had charged Joshua—and they took them along with them to their night encampment and deposited them there.

ushetem esreh avanim heqim yehoshua betokh hayyarden takhat matsav ragle hakkohanim nose'e aron habberit vayyihyu sham ad hayyom hazzeh

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the spot where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood; and they have remained there to this day.

vehakkohanim nose'e ha'aron omedim betokh hayyarden ad tom kol-haddavar asher-tsivvah Adonai et-yehoshua ledabber el-ha'am kekhol asher-tsivvah mosheh et-yehoshua vayemaharu ha'am vayya'avoru

The priests who bore the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until all the instructions that GOD had ordered Joshua to convey to the people had been carried out. And so the people speedily crossed over, just as Moses had assured Joshua in his charge to him.

vayehi ka'asher-tam kol-ha'am la'avor vayya'avor aron-Adonai vehakkohanim lifne ha'am

And when all the people finished crossing, the Ark of GOD and the priests advanced to the head of the people.

vayya'avru bene-re'uven uvene-gad vakhatsi shevet hamenasheh khamushim lifne bene yisra'el ka'asher dibber alehem mosheh

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh went across armed in the van of the Israelites, as Moses had charged them.

ke'arba'im elef khalutse hatsava averu lifne Adonai lammilkhamah el arvot yerikho

About forty thousand shock troops went across, at GOD’s behest, to the steppes of Jericho for battle.

bayyom hahu giddal Adonai et-yehoshua be'ene kol-yisra'el vayyiru oto ka'asher yare'u et-mosheh kol-yeme khayyayw

On that day GOD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him all his days as they had revered Moses.

vayyomer Adonai el-yehoshua lemor

GOD said to Joshua,

tsavveh et-hakkohanim nose'e aron ha'edut veya'alu min-hayyarden

“Command the priests who bear the Ark of the Pact to come up out of the Jordan.”

vayetsav yehoshua et-hakkohanim lemor alu min-hayyarden

So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

vayehi (vlvt) [ka'alot] hakkohanim nose'e aron berit-Adonai mittokh hayyarden nittequ kappot ragle hakkohanim el hekharavah vayyashuvu me-hayyarden limqomam vayyelekhu khitmol-shilshom al-kol-gedotayw

As soon as the priests who bore the Ark of GOD’s Covenant came up out of the Jordan, and the feet of the priests stepped onto the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over its entire bed as before.

veha'am alu min-hayyarden be'asor lakhodesh harishon vayyakhanu baggilgal biqtseh mizrakh yerikho

The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

ve'et shetem esreh ha'avanim ha'elleh asher laqekhu min-hayyarden heqim yehoshua baggilgal

And Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

vayyomer el-bene yisra'el lemor asher yishalun benekhem makhar et-avotam lemor mah ha'avanim ha'elleh

He charged the Israelites as follows: “In time to come, when your children ask their parents, ‘What is the meaning of those stones?’

vehodatem et-benekhem lemor bayyabbashah avar yisra'el et-hayyarden hazzeh

tell your children: ‘Here the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry land.’

asher-hovish Adonai elohekhem et-me hayyarden mippenekhem ad-ovrekhem ka'asher asah Adonai elohekhem leyam-suf asher-hovish mippanenu ad-ovrenu

For the ETERNAL your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed, just as the ETERNAL your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which dried up before us until we crossed.

lema'an da'at kol-amme ha'arets et-yad Adonai ki khazaqah hi lema'an yeratem et-Adonai elohekhem kol-hayyamim

Thus all the peoples of the earth shall know how mighty is GOD’s hand, and you shall fear the ETERNAL your God always.”