1 W hen all the nation had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

When all the nation had fully passed over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

2 “ Choose twelve men from the people, one man from each family.

Take twelve men from among the people, one man out of every tribe,

3 T ell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan. Take them from the place where the religious leaders’ feet are standing. Carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you stay tonight.’”

And 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.

4 S o Joshua called the twelve men he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one man from each family.

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

5 A nd 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.

And 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,

6 L et this be something special among you. Your children will ask you later, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

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

7 T hen you will tell them that the water of the Jordan was cut off before the special box of the agreement of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan was cut off. So these stones will become something to remember to the people of Israel forever.”

Then 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.

8 T he sons of Israel did as Joshua told them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the Lord told Joshua. There was one stone for each family group of the sons of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they stayed, and put them down there.

And 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.

9 T hen Joshua set up twelve stones at the place where the feet of the religious leaders who carried the special box of the agreement were standing in the middle of the Jordan. They are there to this day.

And 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.

10 T he religious leaders who carried the special box of the agreement stood in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything was finished that the Lord told Joshua to tell the people, all that Moses had told Joshua. The people crossed in a hurry.

For 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.

11 W hen all the people were over, they watched the religious leaders carry the special box of the agreement to the other side.

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

12 T he sons of Reuben and Gad and the half-family group of Manasseh crossed over ready for battle before the people of Israel, just as Moses had told them.

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

13 A bout 40, 000 soldiers ready for battle crossed before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho.

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

14 O n that day the Lord gave Joshua honor in the eyes of all Israel. So they honored him as a great man just as they had honored Moses all the days of his life.

On 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.

15 T he Lord said to Joshua,

And the Lord said to Joshua,

16 “ Tell the religious leaders who carry the special box of the agreement to come up from the Jordan.”

Order the priests bearing the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.

17 S o Joshua told the religious leaders to come up from the Jordan.

So Joshua commanded the priests, Come up out of the Jordan.

18 T he religious leaders who carried the special box of the agreement of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped on dry ground, the water of the Jordan returned to its place. It flowed over its sides as before.

And 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.

19 T he people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they stayed at Gilgal on the east side of Jericho.

And 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 J oshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

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

21 H e said to the people of Israel, “Your children will ask their fathers some time in the future, ‘What do these stones mean?’

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

22 T hen let your children know that Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.

You shall let your children know, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground.

23 F or the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed. It was just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed.

For 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,

24 N ow all the people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is powerful, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

That 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.