Joshua 4

1And it happened, when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, that Yahweh said to Joshua,

2Take for yourselves from the people twelve men, one man from each tribe.

3and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves from here, from the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you and set them down at the lodging place where you will spend the night.’

4So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe.

5And Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each man lift up one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.”

6so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7then you shall say to them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And these stones shall be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.

8And the sons of Israel did so, just as Joshua had commanded, and they carried twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, just as Yahweh had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they brought them over with them to the lodging place and set them down there.

9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, under the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day.

10And the priests carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that Yahweh had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed over.

11And when all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over before the people.

12And the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them.

13About forty thousand armed for war crossed over before Yahweh for battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14On that day Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel, and they feared him just as they had feared Moses all the days of his life.

15And Yahweh said to Joshua,

16Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.

17So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

18And it happened, when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up from 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 as before over all its banks.

19And the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

20And Joshua set up these twelve stones at Gilgal, which they had taken from the Jordan.

21And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’”

22then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’

23For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed over, just as Yahweh your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up before us until we crossed over.

24so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is strong, and so that you may fear Yahweh your God all your days.