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Liber Iosue, 4

1. Quibus transgressis, dixit Dominus ad Iosue:

1. When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,

2. “Sumite vobis de populo duodecim viros singulos per singulas tribus

2. "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,

3. et praecipite eis, ut tollant de medio Iordanis alveo, ubi firmiter steterunt sacerdotum pedes, duodecim lapides; quos portabitis vobiscum et ponetis in loco castrorum, ubi fixeritis hac nocte tentoria”.

3. and command them, `Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'"

4. Vocavitque Iosue duodecim viros, quos elegerat de filiis Israel, singulos de tribubus singulis,

4. Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe;

5. et ait ad eos: “Ite ante arcam Domini Dei vestri ad Iordanis medium et portate singuli singulos lapides in umeris vestris, iuxta numerum tribuum filiorum Israel,

5. and Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,

6. ut sit hoc signum inter vos. Quando interrogaverint vos filii vestri cras dicentes: “Quid sibi volunt isti lapides?”,

6. that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, `What do those stones mean to you?'

7. respondebitis eis: Defecerunt aquae Iordanis ante arcam foederis Domini, cum transiret eum; idcirco positi sunt lapides isti in monumentum filiis Israel usque in aeternum”.

7. Then you shall tell 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. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever."

8. Fecerunt ergo filii Israel, sicut eis praecepit Iosue, portantes de medio Iordanis alveo duodecim lapides, ut ei Dominus imperarat, iuxta numerum tribuum filiorum Israel, usque ad locum, in quo castrametati sunt; ibique posuerunt eos.

8. And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

9. Alios quoque duodecim lapides posuit Iosue in medio Iordanis alveo, ubi steterunt sacerdotes, qui portabant arcam foederis; et sunt ibi usque in praesentem diem.

9. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.

10. Sacerdotes autem, qui portabant arcam, stabant in Iordanis medio, donec omnia complerentur, quae Iosue ut loqueretur ad populum praeceperat Dominus secundum omnia, quae dixerat ei Moyses. Festinavitque populus et transiit.

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 tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste;

11. Cumque transissent omnes, transivit et arca Domini; sacerdotesque pergebant ante populum.

11. and when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people.

12. Filii quoque Ruben et Gad et dimidia tribus Manasse armati praecedebant filios Israel, sicut eis praeceperat Moyses;

12. The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manas'seh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them;

13. quadraginta fere milia expeditorum ad pugnam incedebant coram Domino in campestria Iericho.

13. about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14. In illo die magnificavit Dominus Iosue coram omni Israel, ut timerent eum, sicut timuerant Moysen, omnibus diebus vitae suae.

14. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

15. Dixitque ad eum:

15. And the LORD said to Joshua,

16. “Praecipe sacerdotibus, qui portant arcam testimonii, ut ascendant de Iordane”.

16. "Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan."

17. Qui praecepit eis dicens: “Ascendite de Iordane”.

17. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan."

18. Cumque ascendissent portantes arcam foederis Domini et siccam humum calcare coepissent, reversae sunt aquae in alveum suum et fluebant sicut ante super omnes ripas suas.

18. And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

19. Populus autem ascendit de Iordane decimo die mensis primi, et castrametati sunt in Galgalis, in termino orientali Iericho.

19. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

20. Duodecim quoque lapides, quos de Iordanis alveo sumpserant, posuit Iosue in Galgalis.

20. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21. Et dixit ad filios Israel: “Quando interrogaverint filii vestri cras patres suos et dixerint eis: “Quid sibi volunt isti lapides?”,

21. And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, `What do these stones mean?'

22. docebitis eos atque dicetis: Per arentem alveum transivit Israel Iordanem istum,

22. then you shall let your children know, `Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.'

23. siccante Domino Deo vestro aquas eius in conspectu vestro, donec transiretis,

23. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,

24. sicut fecerat prius in mari Rubro, quod siccavit coram nobis, donec transiremus,

24. so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."

25. ut cognoscant omnes terrarum populi fortissimam Domini manum, et ut vos timeatis Dominum Deum vestrum omni tempore”.

25.



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Footnotes:

4:1-3 - God instructs Joshua to collect stones from the Jordan as a memorial. Creating markers is crucial to remembering God's interventions and strengthening the faith of future generations (see also Exodus 12:17 and Deuteronomy 6:20-25).

4:4-7 - The stones of the Jordan serve as a testimony to the children of Israel of God's miracle. This act of remembrance is a vital practice in the life of faith, helping to cultivate gratitude and hope (see also Psalm 78:3-4 and Ephesians 2:12).

4:9 - Joshua also erects a monument in the middle of the Jordan, showing that God's presence should be remembered even in places where He has worked mightily. This highlights the importance of recognizing God's work in every situation (see also Psalm 145:4 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7).

04:14 - God exalts Joshua before Israel, confirming his leadership. This shows that true authority is established by God and that respect for faithful leaders should be cultivated (see also 1 Timothy 5:17 and Hebrews 13:17).

4:20-24 - Joshua's instruction to teach his children about what God did at the Jordan is an example of the importance of passing on faith. Stories of how God works in our lives should be shared to encourage the faith of future generations (see also Deuteronomy 4:9 and Psalm 145:4-6).

Verses related to Liber Iosue, 4:

Joshua chapter 4 reports on the construction of memorials after the crossing of the Jordan. Why is remembrance so important in faith? This significant text describes the erection of twelve stones as a monument to God's miracle. The chapter addresses topics such as the importance of memory in faith, the transmission of faith between generations and the testimony of God's power. Joshua 4 also highlights Joshua's role as God's chosen leader. Reflect with us on five biblical passages that relate to the enduring themes of this landmark chapter.

Exodus 12:26-27: "When your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean? ', say to them: 'It is the sacrifice of the Passover to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our houses when he killed the Egyptians'." - This passage reflects the purpose of the memorial stones in Joshua 4, which was to remind future generations of God's acts.

Psalms 78:5-7: "He established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted a law in Israel, commanding our fathers to teach them to their children, so that the next generation would know them, and also the children yet to be born, and they would arise and report them to their own children; that they might put their trust in God, and not forget the works of God, but obey his commandments." - These verses reflect the purpose of the memorial stones in Joshua 4, which was to pass on the story of God's acts to future generations.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25: "and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is given for you; do this in memory of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup and said: 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it in memory of me.'" - Like the stones in Joshua 4, the Lord's Supper serves as a memorial of God's saving acts.

Deuteronomy 6:20-21: "In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these precepts, decrees, and ordinances mean that the Lord our God has commanded you?', say to them, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of there with a mighty hand." - This passage reflects the purpose of the stones in Joshua 4, which was to provoke questions from future generations about the acts of God.

Joshua 24:26-27: "And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and placed it there, under the large tree that was near the sanctuary of the Lord. 'See! ' Joshua said to all the people. 'This stone will be a witness against us. She heard every word the Lord said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are unfaithful to your God.'" - This passage from Joshua shows another use of stones as a memorial, similar to that in Joshua 4.

FAQ:

Why were twelve stones set up in the middle of the Jordan?

The twelve stones were erected as a memorial so that future generations would remember God's intervention in crossing the Jordan on dry land. (Joshua 4:6-7)

How would the twelve stone memorial help in the education of future generations?

The memorial would serve as a visible reminder of God's power and faithfulness, helping parents teach their children about God's greatness and His actions. (Joshua 4:21-24)

What was done with the twelve stones after the crossing?

The twelve stones were placed at Gilgal, where they became a permanent memorial to God's miracle of crossing the Jordan. (Joshua 4:20)

How was the book of the Law of Moses used after the crossing of the Jordan?

Joshua read from the Book of the Law of Moses to all the people, reaffirming the importance of obedience to God's laws and word. (Joshua 8:34-35)

What was the reaction of the kings of the cities when they heard about the miracle at the Jordan?

The kings of the surrounding cities were terrified and lost their courage when they heard about God’s miracle in crossing the Jordan. (Joshua 5:1)


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