Joshua 4

₁After all the people had gone over the Jordan River, the Lord said to Joshua: ₂‘You must choose 12 men from the people, one man from each tribe, ₃and you must say to them: “Pick up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, from the place where the priests stood, and take the stones with you and put them down at the place where you will sleep tonight.” ’

₄Joshua chose 12 men, one man from each tribe, and he called them to come to him ₅and he said to them: ‘Go in front of the covenant box of the Lord your God. Go to the middle of the Jordan River. There each one of you must pick up a stone and put it on his shoulder, one stone for each tribe of the Israelites. ₆These stones will be a sign to you. A long time from now when your children ask why these stones are here and what they mean to you, ₇you must tell them: “When the covenant box of the Lord went through the Jordan River, the water stopped flowing. These stones are here to help the Israelites to remember always what happened.” ’

₈The Israelites did what Joshua had told them to do. They picked up 12 stones in the Jordan River, one for each tribe of the Israelites. They took the stones with them and put them down at the place where they slept that night. The Lord told Joshua that they must do it. ₉Joshua also put up 12 stones in the Jordan River at the place where the priests who carried the covenant box had stood. The stones are still there.

₁₀The priests who carried the box stood still in the Jordan River until everything happened as the Lord had told Joshua. Joshua had to tell the Israelites everything that Moses had told him to do. The Israelites were in a hurry to go, and they went over the river quickly. ₁₁After they had gone over, the priests took the covenant box over the river and they went in front of the people. ₁₂The men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh went over in front of the other Israelites. They were ready to go to war. ₁₃About 40 000 men went over the river in front of the covenant box. They went to the Jordan Valley near the city of Jericho.

₁₄That day the Lord made Joshua a very important man. All of the Israelites said he was important. As long as Joshua lived they respected him like they had respected Moses. ₁₅The Lord said to Joshua: ₁₆‘Tell the priests to come out of the Jordan River.’ ₁₇Joshua then told the priests to come out. ₁₈The priests who carried the covenant box of the Lord came out of the Jordan River and when they started to walk on the ground next to the river, the water in the river started to flow again as it had before. The river flowed and it was full.

₁₉The Israelites came out of the Jordan River on the 10th day of the first month of the year. They put up their camp near the town of Gilgal, east of the city of Jericho.

₂₀Joshua put up the 12 stones they had brought from the Jordan River, at a town named Gilgal. ₂₁Then Joshua said to the people: ‘A long time from now your children will ask you why these stones are here and what they mean. ₂₂Then you must tell them: “The Israelites came over this Jordan River on dry ground.” ₂₃The Lord stopped the water of the Jordan River and you could walk over the river. The Lord, your God, did the same at the Red Sea. He stopped the water from flowing and we could walk through the sea. The Lord did this so that everyone on earth will know that He is powerful and you will always respect and serve the Lord, your God. ₂₄He did it because He wants everyone on earth to know how strong and powerful He is. God wants us to worship Him, only Him.’