1 A nd it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

When all the nation had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

2 ` Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man -- one man out of a tribe;

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

3 a nd command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this, from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and ye have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which ye lodge to-night.'

Tell 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.’”

4 A nd Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man -- one man out of a tribe;

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

5 a nd Joshua saith to them, `Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God unto the midst of the Jordan and lift up for you each, one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

And 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.

6 s o that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What these stones to you?

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

7 t hat ye have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; in its passing over into the Jordan were the waters of the Jordan cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel -- to the age.'

Then 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.”

8 A nd the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,

The 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.

9 e ven the twelve stones hath Joshua raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, and they are there unto this day.

Then 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.

10 A nd the priests bearing the ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan till the completion of the whole thing which Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people haste and pass over.

The 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.

11 A nd it cometh to pass when all the people have completed to pass over, that the ark of Jehovah passeth over, and the priests, in the presence of the people;

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

12 a nd the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, pass over, by fifties, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken unto them;

The 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.

13 a bout forty thousand, armed ones of the host, passed over before Jehovah for battle, unto the plains of Jericho.

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

14 O n that day hath Jehovah made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they reverence him, as they reverenced Moses, all days of his life.

On 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.

15 A nd Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,

The Lord said to Joshua,

16 ` Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony, and they come up out of the Jordan.'

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

17 A nd Joshua commandeth the priests, saying, `Come ye up out of the Jordan.'

So Joshua told the religious leaders to come up from the Jordan.

18 A nd it cometh to pass, in the coming up of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the midst of the Jordan -- the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground -- and the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.

The 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.

19 A nd the people have come up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamp in Gilgal, in the extremity east of Jericho;

The 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.

20 a nd these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.

Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

21 A nd he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, `When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What these stones?

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

22 t hen ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan;

Then let your children know that Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.

23 b ecause Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, till your passing over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence till our passing over;

For 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.

24 s o that all the people of the land do know the hand of Jehovah that it strong, so that ye have reverenced Jehovah your God all the days.'

Now 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.”