Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Joshua 4:5

and told them: Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Pillar;   Stones;   Token;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jordan, the River;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Stone;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Quarry;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jordan ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Stone;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Emmaus;   Images;   Joshua (2);   Joshua, Book of;   Shoulder;   Sign;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes,
Hebrew Names Version
and Yehoshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Yarden, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Yisra'el;
King James Version
And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Lexham English Bible
And Joshua said to them, "Cross over before the ark of Yahweh your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each one of you lift up a stone on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,
English Standard Version
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,
New Century Version
and said to them, "Go out into the river where the Ark of the Lord your God is. Each of you bring back one rock, one for each tribe of Israel, and carry it on your shoulder.
New English Translation
Joshua told them, "Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes.
Amplified Bible
and Joshua said to them, "Cross over again to the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
New American Standard Bible
and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioshua said vnto them, Go ouer before the Arke of the Lorde your God, euen through the middes of Iorden, and take vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder acccording vnto the nomber of the tribes of the children of Israel,
Legacy Standard Bible
and Joshua said to them, "Cross again before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you carry a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
Complete Jewish Bible
and said to them, "Go on ahead of the ark of Adonai your God into the riverbed of the Yarden. Then, each of you take a stone on his shoulder, corresponding to the number of tribes of the people of Isra'el.
Darby Translation
and Joshua said to them, Pass before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and lift up each of you a stone [and put it] upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
Easy-to-Read Version
He said to them, "Go out into the river where the Holy Box of the Lord your God is. Each of you must find one rock. There will be one rock for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Carry that rock on your shoulder.
George Lamsa Translation
And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
Good News Translation
and he told them, "Go into the Jordan ahead of the Covenant Box of the Lord your God. Each one of you take a stone on your shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
Literal Translation
And Joshua said to them, Cross over before the ark of Jehovah your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each man of you lift up one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& sayde vnto the: Go youre waye ouer before the Arke of the LORDE youre God in the myddes of Iordane, & take euery man a stone vpon his shulder, after the nombre of the trybes of ye children of Israel,
American Standard Version
and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
Bible in Basic English
And he said to them, Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of Jordan, and let every one of you take up a stone on his back, one for every tribe of the children of Israel:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iosuah sayde vnto them: Get you before the arke of the Lorde your God, euen through the middes of Iordane, and take vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder, accordyng vnto the number of the tribes of the chyldren of Israel,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and Joshua said unto them: 'Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
King James Version (1611)
And Ioshua said vnto them, Passe ouer before the Arke of the Lord your God into the mids of Iordan, and take ye vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder, according vnto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
said to them, Advance before me in the presence of the Lord into the midst of Jordan, and each having taken up a stone from thence, let him carry it on his shoulders, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel:
English Revised Version
and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Berean Standard Bible
and said to them, "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide to hem, Go ye bifore the arke of youre Lord God to the myddis of Jordan, and bere ye fro thennus in youre schuldris ech man o stoon, bi the noumbre of the sones of Israel,
Young's Literal Translation
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,
Update Bible Version
and Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel;
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
World English Bible
and Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
New King James Version
and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
New Living Translation
He told them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
New Life Bible
And Joshua said to them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan in front of the special box of the agreement of the Lord your God. Each of you take a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the twelve family groups of Israel.
New Revised Standard
Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and Joshua said unto them: Pass ye over, before the ark of Yahweh your God, into the midst of the Jordan, - and lift ye up, each man one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel:
Douay-Rheims Bible
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,
Revised Standard Version
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,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Contextual Overview

1 After Israel had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 2Tell one man from each of the twelve tribes to pick up a large rock from where the priests are standing. Then have the men set up those rocks as a monument at the place where you camp tonight. 4 Joshua chose twelve men; he called them together, 5 and told them: Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe. 6Someday your children will ask, "Why are these rocks here?" Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today. 8 The men followed the instructions that the Lord had given Joshua. They picked up twelve rocks, one for each tribe, and carried them to the camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua had some other men set up a monument next to the place where the priests were standing. This monument was also made of twelve large rocks, and it is still there in the middle of the river.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:46 - Gather Deuteronomy 9:1 - to pass Joshua 22:10 - built

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you.
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 31:2
Jacob also noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before.
Genesis 31:5
and he told them: Your father isn't as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God my ancestors worshiped has been on my side.
Numbers 16:15
Moses was very angry and said to the Lord , "Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey."
Job 5:2
Envy and jealousy will kill a stupid fool.
Psalms 20:3
May he remember your gifts and be pleased with what you bring.
Matthew 20:15
Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?"
Acts 13:45
When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
Hebrews 11:4
Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joshua said unto them,.... The twelve men:

pass ye over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan; that is, they were to go back to Jordan again, which they had passed over, and go into the midst of it, where were the priests bearing the ark; for it is not to be imagined that the ark went along with them, or followed them, they going before it; but they went where that was, just before it, from whence they were to take the stones, as next directed:

and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder; by which it appears they were large stones they were to take, not what they could carry in their hands, but what they were obliged to take upon their shoulders:

according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; who had that day passed over Jordan, of which these stones were to be a memorial.


 
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