Joshua 4

²And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster.

¹⁷The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

¹²Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

¹⁸Appoint one leader from each tribe to distribute the land.

²“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.”

³¹And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”

²³The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

⁴And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

⁵These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

¹⁹On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

²⁰And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

¹³When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

⁸Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

¹Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all the commandments I am giving you today.

²And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster.

⁴The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.

¹²Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹⁴He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,

¹⁵and to have authority to drive out demons.

²“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

¹⁴In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

²¹Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’

¹For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.

²⁰In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?”

²¹then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

¹⁹Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

²⁷Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the Lord in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord!’

¹⁴And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the Lord, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.

⁴He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

⁴⁰just as the Lord commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his followers.

¹²Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.

¹³When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

¹⁴So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.

³Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.

²⁰And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

²“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

³and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”

¹⁶So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.

¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.

¹²Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

²⁶Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the Lord.

³³So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.

²Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.

²⁵And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.

¹⁸Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,

¹³When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

²¹He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the Lord by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”

²²Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,

¹⁶the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

¹⁷The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,

¹⁶So this is what the Lord God says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

⁸Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”

¹⁷The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

¹⁸When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

¹⁴Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them,

²⁰Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle,

²¹and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

⁸but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.

⁵But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.

⁵but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.

¹⁰On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover.

⁷Now the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

¹²Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the Lord.

²⁸When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

¹⁶So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.

¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.

⁴For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

¹⁸So Samuel called to the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

³and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

⁴But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”

¹⁹Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

¹⁶And place inside the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.

¹⁷And you are to construct a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

¹⁶“Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives.

¹⁷Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”

³⁵When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”

³⁶The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”

²³And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,

¹⁵Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,

¹³When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

⁸It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!

¹⁵These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

²⁶Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”

²⁷So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the Lord swept them into the sea.

⁹Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

⁵My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the Lord.’”

⁴³Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

⁷Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel.

⁵Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.

⁴“Go to Bethel and transgress; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.

⁸Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

³and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”

⁶to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

⁴One generation will commend Your works to the next, and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

⁵the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

²Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

³Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

¹⁷The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

¹⁰Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

¹²And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.

²⁷who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’

²⁹But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

¹⁹For when Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

²¹Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,

¹⁶Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,

¹²who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,

¹³who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble?

¹¹You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.

¹³He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.

¹⁶The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.

⁸Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.

⁴²for they will hear of Your great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple,

⁴³then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.

¹³Mighty is Your arm; strong is Your hand. Your right hand is exalted.

¹²Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.

¹⁹And now, O Lord our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.”

³¹When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.