1Als das ganze Volk den Jordan durchzogen hatte, sagte Jahwe zu Josua:2„Nimm dir zwölf Männer, aus jedem Stamm einen,*3und beauftrage sie, zwölf Steine mitten aus dem Jordan von der Stelle aufzuheben, wo die Priester stehen. Sie sollen die Steine mit euch hinüberschaffen und dort hinlegen, wo ihr die Nacht verbringen werdet.“4Da rief Josua die zwölf Männer, die er dazu aus allen Stämmen bestimmt hatte,5und sagte zu ihnen: „Geht jetzt bis vor die Lade Jahwes, eures Gottes, in den Jordan, und jeder von euch soll einen großen Stein auf die Schulter heben – so viel Steine, wie Israel Stämme hat.6Die Steine sollen ein Denkmal für euch sein. Wenn später eure Kinder fragen, was es mit diesen Steinen auf sich hat,7dann sollt ihr ihnen erzählen, wie das Wasser des Jordan abriss, als die Bundeslade Jahwes hindurchzog. Die Steine sollen euch in aller Zukunft daran erinnern.“8Die Männer gehorchten Josua und hoben zwölf Steine aus dem Jordan, für jeden Stamm einen, wie Jahwe es befohlen hatte. Sie trugen sie bis zum Lagerplatz und legten sie dort nieder.9Josua aber schichtete mitten im Jordan an der Stelle, wo die Priester mit der Bundeslade standen, ebenfalls zwölf Steine auf. Dort liegen sie heute* noch.10Während der ganzen Zeit blieben die Priester mit der Bundeslade mitten im Jordan stehen, bis alles ausgeführt war, was Jahwe dem Volk durch Josua befohlen hatte, genauso wie es schon Mose Josua aufgetragen hatte. Das Volk beeilte sich, durch das trockene Flussbett zu kommen.11Sobald alle den Fluss überquert hatten, kamen auch die Priester mit der Bundeslade Jahwes ans andere Ufer. Das ganze Volk sah zu.12Die Männer von den Stämmen Ruben, Gad und vom halben Stamm Manasse waren in Fünfziger-Einheiten vor den Israeliten hergezogen, wie Mose es ihnen befohlen hatte.13Insgesamt zogen etwa 40.000* Bewaffnete vor Jahwe zum Kampf in die Ebene von Jericho.14An diesem Tag machte Jahwe Josua vor dem ganzen Volk groß. Die Israeliten hatten den gleichen Respekt vor ihm, wie sie ihn vor Mose gehabt hatten. Und so blieb es sein Leben lang.15Dann sagte Jahwe zu Josua:16„Befiehl den Priestern, mit der Bundeslade aus dem Jordan herauszukommen.“17Josua gab den Befehl,18und kaum hatten die Fußsohlen der Priester das trockene Ufer betreten, da kehrte das Wasser des Jordan in sein Bett zurück, und der Fluss trat wieder über seine Ufer.19Es war am 10. April* als das Volk durch den Jordan zog und sein Lager bei Gilgal* an der Ostgrenze des Stadtgebietes von Jericho aufschlug.20Dort richtete Josua die zwölf Steine auf,* die sie aus dem Jordan geholt hatten,21und sagte zu den Israeliten: „Wenn eure Kinder später ihre Väter fragen, was diese Steine bedeuten,22dann sollt ihr es ihnen so erklären: 'Diesen Jordan hat Israel trockenen Fußes durchquert.'23Denn Jahwe, euer Gott, hat das Wasser des Jordan vor euch austrocknen lassen, bis ihr hindurchgezogen wart, genauso wie er auch das Schilfmeer vor uns austrocknete, damit wir durchziehen konnten.24Alle Völker der Erde sollen daran erkennen, wie groß die Macht Jahwes ist, damit auch ihr eurem Gott Jahwe immer mit Ehrfurcht begegnet.“
New International Reader’s Version
1After the whole nation had gone across the River Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua. He said,2‘Choose 12 men from among the people. Choose one from each tribe.3Tell them to get 12 stones from the middle of the river. They must pick them up from right where the priests stood. They must carry the stones over with all of you. And they must put them down at the place where you will stay tonight.’4So Joshua called together the 12 men he had appointed from among the Israelites. There was one man from each tribe.5He said to them, ‘Go back to the middle of the River Jordan. Go to where the ark of the LORD your God is. Each one of you must pick up a stone. You must carry it on your shoulder. There will be as many stones as there are tribes in Israel.6The stones will serve as a reminder to you. In days to come, your children will ask you, “What do these stones mean?”7Tell them that the LORD cut off the flow of water in the River Jordan. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the LORD went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there.’8So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took 12 stones from the middle of the River Jordan. There was one stone for each of the tribes of Israel. It was just as the LORD had told Joshua. The people carried the stones with them to their camp. There they put them down.9Joshua also piled up 12 stones in the middle of the river. He piled them up right where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are still there to this very day.10The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the River Jordan. They stayed there until the people had done everything the LORD had commanded Joshua. It was just as Moses had instructed Joshua. All the people went across quickly.11As soon as they did, the ark of the LORD and the priests also went across to the other side. The people were watching them.12Among the people who went across the river were men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. The men were ready for battle. They went across ahead of the rest of the Israelites. It was just as Moses had instructed them.13There were about 40,000 of them. All of them were ready for battle. They went across in front of the ark of the LORD. They marched to the plains around Jericho. They were prepared to go to war.14That day the LORD honoured Joshua in the eyes of all the Israelites. They had respect for Joshua as long as he lived. They respected him just as much as they had respected Moses.15Then the LORD spoke to Joshua. He said,16‘Command the priests to come up out of the River Jordan. They are carrying the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept.’17So Joshua gave a command to the priests. He said, ‘Come up out of the River Jordan.’18Then the priests came up out of the river. They were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. As soon as they stepped out on dry ground, the water of the Jordan began to flow again. It went over its banks, just as it had done before.19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up out of the River Jordan. They camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.20Joshua set up the 12 stones at Gilgal. They were the ones the people had taken out of the Jordan.21Then he spoke to the Israelites. He said, ‘In days to come, your children after you will ask their parents, “What do these stones mean?”22Their parents must tell them, “Israel went across the River Jordan on dry ground.”23The LORD your God dried up the Jordan for you until you had gone across it. He did to the River Jordan the same thing he had done to the Red Sea. He dried up the Red Sea ahead of us until we had gone across it.24He did it so that all the nations on earth would know that he is powerful. He did it so that you would always have respect for the LORD your God.’
Diese Website verwendet Cookies, um Ihnen die bestmögliche Nutzererfahrung bieten zu können.