[1] It happened, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan,
that Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, [2] Take twelve men out of the people,
out of every tribe a man, [3] and command you them, saying, Take hence out
of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests` feet stood
firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the
lodging-place, where you shall lodge this night. [4] Then Joshua called the
twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every
tribe a man: [5] and Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of
Yahweh your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you
a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the
children of Israel; [6] that this may be a sign among you, that when your
children ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones? [7]
then you shall tell them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off
before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh; when it passed 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] The children of Israel did
so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the
Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of
the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the place
where they lodged, and laid them down there. [9] 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] For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the
Jordan, until everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak
to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people
hurried and passed over. [11] It happened, when all the people had
completely passed over, that the ark of Yahweh passed over, with the
priests, in the presence of the people. [12] The children of Reuben, and
the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed
before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them: [13] about forty
thousand ready armed for war passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the
plains of Jericho. [14] On that day Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of
all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his
life. [15] Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, [16] Command the priests who
bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan. [17]
Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come you up out of the
Jordan. [18] It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant
of Yahweh were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the
priests` feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the
Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.
[19] The 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. [20] Those
twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in
Gilgal. [21] He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children
shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
[22] Then you shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this
Jordan on dry land. [23] For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the
Jordan from before you, until you were passed over, as Yahweh your God did
to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed
over; [24] that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Yahweh,
that it is mighty; that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.
