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 cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,
2 `Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man -- one man out of a tribe;
3 and command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this [place], from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and ye have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which ye lodge to-night.`
4 And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man -- one man out of a tribe;
5 and Joshua saith to them, `Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God unto the midst of the Jordan and lift up for you each, one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
6 so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?
7 that ye have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; in its passing over into the Jordan were the waters of the Jordan cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel -- to the age.`
8 And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,
9 even the twelve stones hath Joshua raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, and they are there unto this day.
10 And the priests bearing the ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan till the completion of the whole thing which Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people haste and pass over.
11 And it cometh to pass when all the people have completed to pass over, that the ark of Jehovah passeth over, and the priests, in the presence of the people;
12 and the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, pass over, by fifties, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them;
13 about forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before Jehovah for battle, unto the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day hath Jehovah made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they reverence him, as they reverenced Moses, all days of his life.
15 And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,
16 `Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.`
17 And Joshua commandeth the priests, saying, `Come ye up out of the Jordan.`
18 And it cometh to pass, in the coming up of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the midst of the Jordan -- the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground -- and the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.
19 And the people have come up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamp in Gilgal, in the extremity east of Jericho;
20 and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.
21 And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, `When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones?
22 then ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan;
23 because Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, till your passing over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence till our passing over;
24 so that all the people of the land do know the hand of Jehovah that it [is] strong, so that ye have reverenced Jehovah your God all the days.`