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

¶ And it came to pass when all the people were finished passing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

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

Take twelve men out of the people, out of each tribe a man,

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, saying, Take from here of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

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, whom he had prepared of the sons of Israel, out of each tribe a man;

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 unto them, Pass before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan and take ye up each one of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

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, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean unto 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 ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the sons of Israel for ever.

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 sons of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel and carried them over with them unto 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.

Joshua also 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 had stood; and they are there unto 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 speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people made haste and passed.

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

And when all the people were finished passing, the ark of the LORD passed, and the priests, 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 and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses had said unto them.

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

About forty thousand men prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, towards the plains of Jericho.

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 feared him as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 T he Lord said to Joshua,

And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

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

Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.

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

Joshua, therefore, commanded the priests, saying, Come ye 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 it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the midst of the Jordan and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, flowing as before over all its banks.

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 camped in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho.

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

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

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 spoke unto the sons of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean unto you?

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

Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

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 from before you until ye had passed, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us until we had passed,

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 people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that ye might fear the LORD your God all the days.