Now when all
the nation
had finished
crossing
the aJordan
, the LORD
spoke
to Joshua
, saying
,
" aTake for yourselves twelve
men
from the people
, one
man
from each
tribe
,
and command them, saying
, `Take
up for yourselves twelve
stones
from here
out of the middle
of the Jordan
, from the place
where
the priests'
feet
are standing
firm
, and carry
them over
with you and lay
them down
in athe lodging
place
where
you will lodge
tonight
.' "
So Joshua called
the twelve
men
whom
he had appointed
from the sons
of Israel
, one
man
from each
tribe
;
and Joshua said
to them, " 1Cross
again
to the ark
of the LORD
your God
into the middle
of the Jordan
, and each
of you take
up a stone
on his shoulder
, according to the number
of the tribes
of the sons
of Israel
.
" 1Let this be a sign
among
you, so that awhen your children
ask
2later
, saying
, `What
do these
stones
mean to you?'
then you shall say to them, `Because
the awaters
of the Jordan
were cut
off
before
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
; when it crossed
the Jordan
, the waters
of the Jordan
were cut
off
.' So these
stones
shall become
a bmemorial
to the sons
of Israel
forever
."
Thus the sons
of Israel
did
as Joshua
commanded
, and took
up twelve
stones
from the middle
of the Jordan
, just
as the LORD
spoke
to Joshua
, according to the number
of the tribes
of the sons
of Israel
; and they carried
them over
with them to athe lodging
place
and put
them down
there
.
Then Joshua set
up twelve
astones
in the middle
of the Jordan
at the place
where
the feet
of the priests
who carried
the ark
of the covenant
were standing
, and they are there
to this
day
.
For the priests who carried
the ark
were standing
in the middle
of the Jordan
until
everything
was completed
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
;
and when all
the people
had finished
crossing
, the ark
of the LORD
and the priests
crossed
before
the people
.
aThe sons of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
crossed
over
in battle
array
before
the sons
of Israel
, just
as Moses
had spoken
to them;
about 40,000 equipped
for war
, crossed
for battle
before
the LORD
to the desert
plains
of Jericho
.
aOn that day the LORD
exalted
Joshua
in the sight
of all
Israel
; so that they 1revered
him, just
as they had 1revered
Moses
all
the days
of his life
.
Now the LORD said
to 1Joshua
,
"Command the priests
who carry
athe ark
of the testimony
that they come
up from the Jordan
."
So Joshua commanded
the priests
, saying
, "Come
up from the Jordan
."
It came about when the priests
who carried
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
had come
up from the middle
of the Jordan
, and the soles
of the priests'
feet
were 1lifted
up to the dry
ground
, that the waters
of the Jordan
returned
to their place
, and went
over
all
its banks
as before
.
Now the people came
up from the Jordan
on the atenth
of the first
month
and camped
at Gilgal
on the eastern
edge
of Jericho
.
1 aThose twelve
stones
which
they had taken
from the Jordan
, Joshua
set
up bat Gilgal
.
He said to the sons
of 1Israel
, "When
your children
ask
their fathers
in time
to come
, saying
, `What
are these
stones
?'
then you shall inform your children
, saying
, `Israel
crossed
this
Jordan
on adry
ground
.'
"For the LORD your God
dried
up the waters
of the Jordan
before
you until
you had crossed
, just
as the LORD
your God
had done
to the 1Red
Sea
, awhich
He dried
up before
us until
we had crossed
;
that aall the peoples
of the earth
may know
that the bhand
of the LORD
is mighty
, so
that you may 1 cfear
the LORD
your God
2forever
."