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 had finished passing over the Jordan, That the Lord said unto Joshua, as followeth,2 Take yourselves twelve men out of the people, one man each out of every tribe,3 And command ye them, saying, Take yourselves hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging–place, where ye will lodge this night.4 Then did Joshua call the twelve men, whom he had appointed out of the children of Israel, one man each out of every tribe:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take yourselves up every man one stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;6 In order that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?7 That ye shall answer them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua had commanded; and they took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.9 Twelve stones also did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, on the spot where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood: and they have remained there unto this day.10 But the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until every thing was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hastened and passed over.11 And it came to pass, when all the people had finished passing over, that the ark of the Lord passed over with the priests in the presence of the people.12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Menasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them:13 About forty thousand ready armed for war, did they pass over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.14 On that day the Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.15 And the Lord said unto Joshua, as followeth,16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.17 And Joshua 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 were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all its banks, as on the preceding days.19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the extreme eastern border of Jericho.20 And those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.21 And he said unto the children of Israel, thus, When your children shall ask in time to come their fathers, saying, What mean these stones?22 Then shall ye let your children know, saying, On dry land did Israel pass over this Jordan;23 That the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over;24 In order that all the nations of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; in order that ye may fear the Lord your God all the days.