1 And when they had crossed over, the Lord said to Joshua:
2 “Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,
3 and instruct them so that they may take from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood still, twelve very hard stones, which you shall station in the place of the camp, where you will pitch your tents this night.”
4 And Joshua called twelve men, whom he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,
5 and he said to them: “Go before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each one carry from there one stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the sons of Israel,
6 so that it may be a sign among you. And when your sons will ask you, tomorrow, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7 you shall respond to them: ‘The waters of the Jordan failed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when the ark crossed over it. For this reason, these stones were placed as a monument for the sons of Israel, even forever.’ ”
8 Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.
9 Similarly, Joshua positioned another twelve stones in the middle of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant; and they are there, even to the present day.
10 Now the priests who were carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was accomplished which the Lord had instructed Joshua to speak to the people and which Moses had said to him. And the people hurried, and they passed over.
11 And when they had all crossed, the ark of the Lord also crossed, and the priests advanced before the people.
12 Likewise, the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh advanced with weapons before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had instructed them.
13 And forty thousand fighters, by companies and divisions, advanced through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.
14 In that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they would fear him, just as they had feared Moses while he lived.
15 And he said to him,
16 “Command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to ascend from the Jordan.”
17 And he commanded them, saying, “Ascend from the Jordan.”
18 And when those who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord had ascended, and they began to step on dry soil, the waters returned to their channel, and they flowed as they usually did before.
19 Now the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, opposite the eastern portion of the city of Jericho.
20 Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.
21 And he said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons will question their fathers, tomorrow, and they will say to them, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
22 you shall teach them, and you shall say: ‘Israel passed over this Jordan, through the dry channel.’
23 For the Lord your God dried up its waters in your sight, until you crossed over,
24 just as he had done before, at the Red Sea, which he dried up until we crossed over.
25 So may all the peoples of the earth learn of the very powerful hand of the Lord. So may you also fear the Lord your God for all time.”
Versículos relacionados com Joshua, 4:
Joshua chapter 4 reports the moment when the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River on foot, while the waters were dammed by the power of God. For the memory of this event to be preserved, Joshua ordered twelve men, one of each tribe, to caught a middle stone of the river and put it as a memorial in Gilgal. Below is five verses related to topics covered in Joshua 4, excluding verses from the chapter itself:
Psalm 78:13: "He made the sea from, and made them pass through his midst; and made the waters stop as in a heap." This verse refers to the moment God made the Red Sea open so that the children of Israel would walk a lean foot. As in the case of the Jordan River, this event was an act of divine power to rid the people of the Egyptian captivity.
Psalm 111:4: "He made his wonders to be remembered; godly and merciful is the Lord." This verse highlights the importance of remembering the wonders God performs, such as the opening of the Red Sea and the damage of the Jordan River, so that faith and trust in the Lord are strengthened.
Isaiah 43:16: "Thus saith the Lord, who has prepared a path in the sea, and a path in the impetuous waters;" This verse refers to the opening of the Red Sea, but can also be applied to the Jordan River crossing, showing that God has the power to open paths in impossible situations.
1 Corinthians 10:1-2: "Now, brothers, I do not want you to ignore that our parents were all under the cloud, and all passed by the sea. And they were all baptized in Moses, the cloud and in the sea." This excerpt from the New Testament recalls the episode of the Red Sea crossing, but also applies to the Jordan River crossing, emphasizing that these events were important to the identity and faith of God's people.
Hebrews 11:29: "By faith, the Red Sea passed, as by dry land; which intended the Egyptians drowned." This verse is part of the chapter of faith in Hebrews, which highlights examples of men and women who lived by faith. The reference to the passage through the Red Sea shows that faith was what allowed the children of Israel to cross the waters, not human strength.
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