Twelve Stones from the Jordan

1And it came to pass, when all the people had finished passing over the Jordan, that YHWH spoke to Joshua, saying, 2“Take for yourselves from the people twelve men—one man—one man from a tribe. 3And command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves from this place out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where stood firm the priests’ feet, twelve stones, and you⁺ shall carry them over with you⁺ and leave them in the lodging place, in which you⁺ lodge tonight.’”

4And Joshua called to twelve men, whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel—one man—one man from a tribe. 5And Joshua said to them, “Pass over before the face of the ark of YHWH your⁺ God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up for yourselves each man one stone on his shoulder, by the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, 6so that this may be a sign among you⁺ when your⁺ children ask hereafter, saying, ‘What are these stones to you⁺?’ 7And you⁺ shall say to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off from the face of the ark of the covenant of YHWH. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the sons of Israel even to forever.”

8And the sons of Israel did so, as Joshua had commanded, and they took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as YHWH had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and laid them down there.

9And Joshua set up and two and ten stones in the midst of the Jordan,† under the standing place of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant. And they are there to this day.

10And the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until the completion of all that YHWH had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and passed over. 11And it came to pass, when all the people had finished passing over, that the ark of YHWH and the priests passed over before the faces of the people. 12And the men of Reuben, and the men of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the faces of the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13About forty thousand armed ones of the host passed over before the face of YHWH for battle to the plains of Jericho.

14On that day YHWH exalted Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, and they feared him as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15And YHWH spoke to Joshua, saying, 16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony† to come up from the Jordan.”

17And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.”

18And it came to pass, when had come the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH from the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests having touched unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed as yesterday and the day before yesterday, over all its banks,

The Camp at Gilgal

19and the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the border east of Jericho. 20And these twelve stones that they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21And he spoke to the sons of Israel, saying, “When your⁺ sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22And you⁺ shall let your⁺ sons know, saying, ‘On the dry land Israel passed over this Jordan.’ 23For YHWH your⁺ God dried up the waters of the Jordan before your⁺ faces until you⁺ had passed over, as YHWH your⁺ God did to the Red Sea,† which He dried up before us until we had passed over, 24that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of YHWH, that it is mighty, so that you⁺ may fear YHWH your⁺ God all the days.”