That this may be a sign among you, that when your [a]children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What meant you by these stones?

Then ye may answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord: for when it passed through Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: therefore these stones are a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.

Then the children of Israel did even so as Joshua had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the Lord had said unto Joshua, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them unto the lodging, and laid them down there.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:6 God commandeth that not only we ourselves profit by this wonderful work, but that our posterity may know the cause thereof and glorify his Name.

to serve as a sign(A) among you. In the future, when your children(B) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(C) tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(D) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial(E) to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(F) from the middle of the Jordan,(G) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(H) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

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