1 W hen all the nation had fully passed over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying:

2 T ake twelve men from among the people, one man out of every tribe,

“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,

3 A nd command them, Take twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm; carry them over with you and leave them at the place where you lodge tonight.

and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”

4 T hen Joshua called the twelve men of the Israelites whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;

5 A nd Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God in the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, as is the number of the tribes of the Israelites,

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,

6 T hat this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, What do these stones mean to you?

that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7 T hen you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.

Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8 A nd the Israelites did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord told Joshua, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.

And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

9 A nd Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst 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 F or the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste.

So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.

11 W hen all the people had passed over, the ark of the Lord and the priests went over in the presence of the people.

Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.

12 A nd the sons of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the Israelites, as Moses had bidden them;

And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.

13 A bout 40, 000 prepared for war passed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.

About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14 O n that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 A nd the Lord said to Joshua,

Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

16 O rder the priests bearing the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.

“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

17 S o Joshua commanded the priests, Come up out of the Jordan.

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.”

18 A nd when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet were lifted up to the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as they had before.

And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

19 A nd 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.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

20 A nd those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan Joshua set up in Gilgal.

And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21 A nd he said to the Israelites, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, What do these stones mean?

Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’

22 Y ou shall let your children know, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground.

then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’;

23 F or the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over,

for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,

24 T hat all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever.

that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”