1 When all the nation had completely
crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to
Joshua, saying,
2 “Take twelve men out of the people, a
man out of every tribe,
3 and command them, saying, ‘Take from
out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the
place where the priests’ feet stood firm,
twelve stones, carry them over with you,
and lay them down in the place where
you’ll camp tonight.’ ”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men
whom he had prepared of the children of
Israel, a man out of every tribe.
5 Joshua said to them, “Cross before the
ark of the LORD your God into the middle
of the Jordan, and each of you pick
up a stone and put it on your shoulder,
according to the number of the tribes of the
children of Israel;
6 that this may be a sign amongst you,
that when your children ask in the future,
saying, ‘What do you mean by these
stones?’ 7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the
waters of the Jordan were cut off before
the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it
crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the
Jordan were cut off. These stones shall
be for a memorial to the children of Israel
forever.’ ”
8 The children of Israel did as Joshua
commanded, and took up twelve stones
out of the middle of the Jordan, as the
LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of
Israel. They carried them over with them
to the place where they camped, and laid
them down there.
9 Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle
of the Jordan, in the place where the
feet of the priests who bore the ark of the
covenant stood; and they are there to this
day.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood
in the middle of the Jordan until everything
was finished that the LORD commanded
Joshua to speak to the people,
according to all that Moses commanded
Joshua; and the people hurried and passed
over.
11 When all the people had completely
crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over
with the priests in the presence of the people.
12 The children of Reuben, and the children
of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
crossed over armed before the children
of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.
13 About forty thousand men, ready and
armed for war, passed over before the
LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day, the LORD magnified
Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they
feared him, as they feared Moses, all the
days of his life.
15 The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 “Command the priests who bear the
ark of the covenant, that they come up out
of the Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the
priests, saying, “Come up out of the
Jordan!”
18 When the priests who bore the ark
of the LORD’s covenant had come up out
of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles
of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to
the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan
returned to their place, and went over all
its banks, as before.
19 The people came up out of the Jordan
on the tenth day of the first month, and
encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of
Jericho.
20 Joshua set up those twelve stones,
which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.
21 He spoke to the children of Israel, saying,
“When your children ask their fathers
in time to come, saying, ‘What do these
stones mean?’
22 Then you shall let your children know,
saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry
land.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the
waters of the Jordan from before you until
you had crossed over, as the LORD your
God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up
from before us, until we had crossed over,
24 that all the peoples of the earth may
know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and
that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’
”
