Joshua

When the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, GOD said to Joshua,

“Select twelve individuals from among the people, one from each tribe,

and instruct them as follows: Pick up twelve stones from the spot exactly in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests’ feet are standing; take them along with you and deposit them in the place where you will spend the night.”

Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had designated among the Israelites, one from each tribe;

and Joshua said to them, “Walk up to the Ark of the ETERNAL your God, in the middle of the Jordan, and each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder—corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones for you?’

you shall tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of GOD’s Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And so these stones shall serve the people of Israel as a memorial for all time.”

The Israelites did as Joshua ordered. They picked up twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel, from the middle of the Jordan—as GOD had charged Joshua—and they took them along with them to their night encampment and deposited them there.

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the spot where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood; and they have remained there to this day.

The priests who bore the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until all the instructions that GOD had ordered Joshua to convey to the people had been carried out. And so the people speedily crossed over, just as Moses had assured Joshua in his charge to him.ajust as Moses had assured Joshua in his charge to him Connection of clause uncertain; cf. Deut. 31.7–8.

And when all the people finished crossing, the Ark of GOD and the priests advanced to the head of the people.

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh went across armedbarmed Meaning of Heb. uncertain. in the van of the Israelites, as Moses had charged them.cas Moses had charged them See Num. 32.20–22.

About forty thousand shock troops went across, at GOD’s behest, to the steppes of Jericho for battle.

On that day GOD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him all his days as they had revered Moses.

GOD said to Joshua,

“Command the priests who bear the Ark of the Pact to come up out of the Jordan.”

So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

As soon as the priests who bore the Ark of GOD’s Covenant came up out of the Jordan, and the feet of the priests stepped onto the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over its entire bed as before.

The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

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

He charged the Israelites as follows: “In time to come, when your children ask their parents, ‘What is the meaning of those stones?’

tell your children: ‘Here the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry land.’

For the ETERNAL your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed, just as the ETERNAL your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which dried up before us until we crossed.

Thus all the peoples of the earth shall know how mighty is GOD’s hand, and you shall fear the ETERNAL your God always.”