1And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying: 2Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3and command them, saying, Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight. 4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5and Joshua said to them: Cross over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, What are these stones to you? 7Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel for all time. 8And the children of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, at the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10Thus, the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 11And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of Jehovah and the priests crossed over before the people. 12And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before Jehovah for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On that day Jehovah magnified Joshua in the eyes of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 16Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan. 17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan. 18And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before. 19Now the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20And the twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: When your sons ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What are these stones? 22then you shall let your children know, saying, Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land; 23for Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24that all the peoples of the earth might know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty, that you may fear Jehovah your God all your days.