Joshua 4

1It was when the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan that Yahweh said to Joshua.

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

3Command them, saying, "Take up twelve stones from here in the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, carry them across with you, and set them down in the lodging place where you will stay tonight."

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

5Joshua said to them, "Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you lift a stone—one per man—onto his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel's children."

6so that this will be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, “What are these stones to you?”

7You shall tell them, "The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

8The sons of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded, lifting twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan just as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; they brought them across with them to the lodging place and set them down there.

9Joshua raised twelve stones amid the Jordan, beneath the station where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant stood, and they remain there to this day.

10The priests carrying the ark stood amid the Jordan until every matter that Yahweh charged Joshua to declare to the people was completed, just as all that Moses charged Joshua, and the people hurried across.

11When all the people had completely crossed over, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over before the people.

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

13About forty thousand armed men of the army passed over before Yahweh to battle on the plains of Jericho.

14On that day Yahweh exalted Joshua before all Israel, and they revered him as they had revered Moses all the days of his life.

15And Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,

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

17Joshua commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan!"

18When the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh's covenant emerged from the Jordan's midst, and the soles of their feet reached the dry ground, the Jordan's waters returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

19The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and encamped in Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho.

20Joshua set up in Gilgal those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan.

21He said to the sons of Israel, "When your sons ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'"

22You shall inform your children, saying, "Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground."

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

24so that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh's hand is mighty, so that you may fear Yahweh your God every day.