1 W hen all the nation had crossed 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 “ Choose twelve men from the people, one man from each family.

“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from 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, 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 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 appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every 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: “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 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, saying, ‘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 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 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, 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 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.

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 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.

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 were over, they watched the religious leaders carry the special box of the agreement to the other side.

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 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 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 soldiers ready for battle crossed before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho.

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 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 exalted 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,

Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

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

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

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

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 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?’

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 T hen let your children know that Israel crossed 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 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 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 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 the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”