¹When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan , the LORD spoke to Joshua , saying,

²“Take twelve men out of the people , a man out of every tribe ,

³and command them , saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan , out of the place where the priests ’ feet stood firm , twelve stones, carry them over with you , and lay them down in the place where you ’ll camp tonight .’”

⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel , a man out of every tribe .

⁵Joshua said to them , “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan , and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder , according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel ;

⁶that this may be a sign amongst you , that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

⁷then you shall tell them , ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD ’s covenant . When it crossed over the Jordan , the waters of the Jordan were cut off . These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever .’”

⁸The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded , and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan , as the LORD spoke to Joshua , according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel . They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there .

⁹Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle 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 .

¹⁰For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people , according to all that Moses commanded Joshua ; and the people hurried and passed over .

¹¹When all the people had completely crossed over , the LORD ’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people .

¹²The children of Reuben , and the children of Gad , and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel , as Moses spoke to them .

¹³About forty thousand men , ready and armed for war , passed over before the LORD to battle , to the plains of Jericho .

¹⁴On 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 .

¹⁵The LORD spoke to Joshua , saying,

¹⁶“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan .”

¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests , saying, “Come up out of the Jordan !”

¹⁸When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD ’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan , and the soles of the priests ’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground , the waters of the Jordan returned to their place , and went over all its banks , as before .

¹⁹The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month , and encamped in Gilgal , on the east border of Jericho .

²⁰Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan , in Gilgal .

²¹He spoke to the children of Israel , saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come , saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’

²²Then you shall let your children know , saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land .

²³For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over , as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea , which he dried up from before us , until we had crossed over ,

²⁴that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD ’s hand is mighty , and that you may fear the LORD your God forever .’”