Liber Iosue, 4

1. quibus transgressis dixit Dominus ad Josue

1. And when they were passed over, the Lord said to Josue:

2. elige duodecim viros singulos per singulas tribus

2. Choose twelve men, one of every tribe:

3. et præcipe eis ut tollant de medio Jordanis alveo ubi steterunt sacerdotum pedes duodecim durissimos lapides quos ponetis in loco castrorum ubi fixeritis hac nocte tentoria

3. And command them to take out of the midst of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, twelve very hard stones, which you shall set in the place of the camp, where you shall pitch your tents this night.

4. vocavitque Josue duodecim viros quos elegerat de filiis Israël singulos de tribubus singulis

4. And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,

5. et ait ad eos ite ante arcam Domini Dei vestri ad Jordanis medium et portate singuli singulos lapides in umeris vestris juxta numerum filiorum Israël

5. And he said to them: Go before the ark of the Lord your God to the midst of the Jordan, and carry from thence every man a stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the children of Israel,

6. ut sit signum inter vos et quando interrogaverint vos filii vestri cras dicentes quid sibi volunt isti lapides

6. That it may be a sign among you end when your children shall ask you to morrow, saying: What mean these stones?

7. respondebitis eis defecerunt aquæ Jordanis ante arcam fœderis Domini cum transiret eum idcirco positi sunt lapides isti in monumentum filiorum Israël usque in æternum

7. You shall answer them: The waters of the Jordan ran off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it passed over the same: therefore were these atones set for a monument of the children of Israel for ever.

8. fecerunt ergo filii Israël sicut eis præcepit Josue portantes de medio Jordanis alveo duodecim lapides ut ei Dominus imperarat juxta numerum filiorum Israël usque ad locum in quo castrametati sunt ibique posuerunt eos

8. The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

9. alios quoque duodecim lapides posuit Josue in medio Jordanis alveo ubi steterunt sacerdotes qui portabant arcam fœderis et sunt ibi usque in præsentem diem

9. And Josue put other twelve stones in the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood that carried the ark of the covenant: and they are there until this present day.

10. sacerdotes autem qui portabant arcam stabant in Jordanis medio donec omnia conplerentur quæ Josue ut loqueretur ad populum præceperat Dominus et dixerat ei Moses festinavitque populus et transiit

10. Now the priests that carried the ark, stood in the midst of the Jordan till all things were accomplished which the Lord had commanded Josue to speak to the people, and Moses had said to him. And the people made haste and passed over.

11. cumque transissent omnes transivit et arca Domini sacerdotesque pergebant ante populum

11. And when they had all passed over, the ark also of the Lord passed over, and the priests went before the people.

12. filii quoque Ruben et Gad et dimidiæ tribus Manasse armati præcedebant filios Israël sicut eis præceperat Moses

12. The children of Ruben also and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, went armed before the children of Israel as Moses had commanded them.

13. et quadraginta pugnatorum milia per turmas et cuneos incedebant per plana atque campestria urbis Hiericho

13. And forty thousand fighting men by their troops, and bands, marched through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

14. in illo die magnificavit Dominus Josue coram omni Israël ut timerent eum sicut timuerant Mosen dum adviveret

14. In that day the Lord magnified Josue in the sight of all Israel, that they should fear him, as they had feared Moses, while he lived.

15. dixitque ad eum

15. And he said to him:

16. præcipe sacerdotibus qui portant arcam fœderis ut ascendant de Jordane

16. Command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.

17. qui præcepit eis dicens ascendite de Jordane

17. And he commanded them, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan.

18. cumque ascendissent portantes arcam fœderis Domini et siccam humum calcare cœpissent reversæ sunt aquæ in alveum suum et fluebant sicut ante consueverant

18. And when they that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up, and began to tread on the dry ground, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were wont before.

19. populus autem ascendit de Jordane decimo mensis primi die et castrametati sunt in Galgalis contra orientalem plagam urbis Hiericho

19. And the people came up out of the Jordan, the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Galgal, over against the east side of the city of Jericho.

20. duodecim quoque lapides quos de Jordanis alveo sumpserant posuit Josue in Galgalis

20. And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal,

21. et dixit ad filios Israël quando interrogaverint filii vestri cras patres suos et dixerint eis quid sibi volunt isti lapides

21. And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, to morrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

22. docebitis eos atque dicetis per arentem alveum transivit Israël Jordanem istum

22. You shall teach them and say: Israel passed over this Jordan through the dry channel.

23. siccante Domino Deo vestro aquas ejus in conspectu vestro donec transiretis

23. The Lord your God drying up the waters thereof in your sight, until you passed over:

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

24. As he had done before in the Red Sea, which he dried up till we passed through :

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

25. That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.