1 Tendo todo o povo atravessado o Jordão, o Senhor disse a Josué:2 Escolhei doze homens dentre o povo, um por tribo, e ordenai-lhes:3 tomai daqui, do meio do Jordão, deste lugar onde os pés dos sacerdotes estiveram parados, doze pedras que levareis convosco e as colocareis no lugar onde haveis de passar a noite.4 Josué convocou os doze homens escolhidos, um por tribo, entre os filhos de Israel.5 E disse-lhes: Ide adiante da arca do Senhor, vosso Deus, no meio do Jordão, e cada um de vós, segundo o número das tribos de Israel, carregue uma pedra no seu ombro.6 Isso ficará como um memorial entre vós. Quando vossos filhos vos perguntarem um dia: que significam essas pedras?7 Responder-lhes-eis: as águas do Jordão foram cortadas diante da arca da aliança do Senhor; quando ela atravessou o Jordão, as águas foram cortadas, e essas pedras são para os israelitas um monumento eterno em memória desse acontecimento.8 Fizeram os filhos de Israel como Josué lhes tinha ordenado: tomaram do meio do leito do Jordão doze pedras, como o Senhor tinha dito a Josué, segundo o número das tribos de Israel. Levaram-nas consigo e depositaram-nas no. lugar onde deviam acampar.9 Pôs também Josué outras doze pedras no leito do Jordão, no lugar onde estiveram parados os pés dos sacerdotes que levavam a arca da aliança. E elas estão ali ainda hoje.10 Os sacerdotes que levavam a arca permaneceram de pé no meio do leito do Jordão até que se cumpriu tudo o que o Senhor tinha ordenado que Josué dissesse ao povo, segundo as ordens que lhe dera Moisés. O povo apressou-se em atravessar o rio.11 Logo que todos passaram, a arca do Senhor e os sacerdotes puseram-se de novo à frente do povo.12 Os rubenitas, os gaditas e a meia tribo de Manassés tinham passado o rio armados, diante dos israelitas, segundo a ordem de Moisés.13 Em número de aproximadamente quarenta mil homens, equipados para o combate, desfilaram diante do Senhor, rumo à planície de Jericó.14 Naquele dia o Senhor exaltou Josué aos olhos de todo o Israel. E todos tiveram para com ele o mesmo respeito que por Moisés, durante toda a sua vida.15 O Senhor disse a Josué:16 Ordena aos sacerdotes, que levam a arca do testemunho, que saiam do Jordão.17 Josué ordenou-lhes: Saí do Jordão.18 E os sacerdotes, que levavam a arca da aliança do Senhor, tendo deixado o leito do rio, ao pisarem seus pés a terra firme, as águas do Jordão retomaram seu lugar e correram caudalosas como antes.19 Ora, o povo saiu do Jordão no décimo dia do primeiro mês, e acampou em Gálgala, na extremidade oriental de Jericó.20 Josué levantou ali as doze pedras tomadas do Jordão.21 E disse aos filhos de Israel: Quando vossos filhos perguntarem um dia a seus pais: que significam essas pedras?22 Responder-lhes-eis nestes termos: Israel atravessou o Jordão a pé enxuto,23 porque o Senhor, vosso Deus, secou diante de vós o leito do Jordão, até que passásseis, do mesmo modo que antes tinha feito ao mar Vermelho, o qual secou diante de nós até que passássemos.24 Isto, para que todos os povos da terra saibam que a mão do Senhor é poderosa, e para que conserveis sempre o temor do Senhor, vosso Deus.

1 And it came to pass when all the people were finished passing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,2 Take twelve men out of the people, out of each tribe a man,3 and command them, saying, Take from here of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the sons of Israel, out of each tribe a man;5 and Joshua said unto them, Pass before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan and take ye up each one of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,6 that this may be a sign among you, [that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What do these stones [mean] unto you?7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the sons of Israel for ever.8 And the sons of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there.9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there unto this day.10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people made haste and passed.11 And when all the people were finished passing, the ark of the LORD passed, and the priests, in the presence of the people.12 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses had said unto them.13 About forty thousand [men] prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, towards the plains of Jericho.14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.15 And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.17 Joshua, therefore, commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of the Jordan.18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the midst of the Jordan [and] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, flowing as before over all its banks.19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month and camped in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho.20 And Joshua raised up in Gilgal the twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan.21 And he spoke unto the sons of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones [mean] unto you?22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until ye had passed, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us until we had passed,24 that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it [is] mighty; that ye might fear the LORD your God all the days.: