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 clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

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

Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every 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 ye them, saying, Take you hence out 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 children of Israel, out of every 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 over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children 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 mean ye by these stones?

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 over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children 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 children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children 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.

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant 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 which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

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 it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, 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 children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:

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

About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to 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 feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 T he Lord said to Joshua,

And the Lord spake 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 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 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 bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did 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 Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in 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 Jordan, did Joshua pitch 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 spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

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 Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone 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 people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.