[1] Now when all the nation had come to the other side of Jordan, the Lord
said to Joshua, [2] Take twelve men from the people, a man for every tribe,
[3] And say to them, Take up from the middle of Jordan, from the place
where the feet of the priests were resting, twelve stones, and take them
over with you and put them down in the place where you take your rest
tonight. [4] So Joshua sent for the twelve men, whom he had ready, one man
out of every tribe of the children of Israel, [5] And he said to them, Go
over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of Jordan, and let
every one of you take up a stone on his back, one for every tribe of the
children of Israel: [6] So that this may be a sign among you; when your
children say to you in time to come, What is the reason for these stones?
[7] Then you will say to them, Because the waters of Jordan were cut off
before the ark of the Lord's agreement; when it went over Jordan the waters
of Jordan were cut off: and these stones will be a sign for the children of
Israel, keeping it in their memory for ever. [8] So the children of Israel
did as Joshua gave them orders, and took twelve stones from the middle of
Jordan, as the Lord had said to Joshua, one for every tribe of the children
of Israel; these they took across with them to their night's resting-place
and put them down there. [9] And Joshua put up twelve stones in the middle
of Jordan, where the feet of the priests who took up the ark of the
agreement had been placed: and there they are to this day. [10] For the
priests who took up the ark kept there in the middle of Jordan till all the
orders given to Joshua by Moses from the Lord had been done: then the
people went over quickly. [11] And when all the people had come to the
other side, the ark of the Lord went over, and the priests, before the eyes
of the people. [12] And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and
the half-tribe of Manasseh went over armed before the children of Israel as
Moses had said to them: [13] About forty thousand armed for war went over
before the Lord to the fight, to the lowlands of Jericho. [14] That day the
Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel; and all the days of his
life they went in fear of him, as they had gone in fear of Moses. [15] Then
the Lord said to Joshua, [16] Give orders to the priests who take up the
ark of witness, to come up out of Jordan. [17] So Joshua gave orders to the
priests, saying, Come up now out of Jordan. [18] And when the priests who
took up the ark of the Lord's agreement came up out of Jordan and their
feet came out on to dry land, the waters of Jordan went back to their
place, overflowing its edges as before. [19] So on the tenth day of the
first month the people came up out of Jordan, and put up their tents in
Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho. [20] And the twelve stones which they
took out of Jordan, Joshua put up in Gilgal. [21] And he said to the
children of Israel, When your children say to their fathers in time to
come, What is the reason for these stones? [22] Then give your children the
story, and say, Israel came over this river Jordan on dry land. [23] For
the Lord your God made the waters of Jordan dry before you till you had
gone across, as he did to the Red Sea, drying it up before us till we had
gone across: [24] So that all the peoples of the earth may see that the
hand of the Lord is strong; and that they may go in fear of the Lord your
God for ever.
