1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed
over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 Take
you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 And
command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the
place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry
them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye 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 unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the
midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder,
according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 That
this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in
time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then
ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of
the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were
cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel
for ever.
8 And
the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones
out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them
unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And
Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet
of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there
unto this day.
10 For
the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing
was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according
to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 And
it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of
the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And
the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of
Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto
them:
13 About
forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the
plains of Jericho.
14 On
that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared
him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And
the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command
the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of
Jordan.
17 Joshua
therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And
it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD
were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were
lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their
place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 And
the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in
Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And
those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And
he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask
their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then
ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry
land.
23 For
the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were
passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from
before us, until we were gone over:
24 That
all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty:
that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
