1And it came to be, when the entire nation had completely passed over the Yardĕn, that יהוה spoke to Yehoshua, saying,

2“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,

3and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Yardĕn, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. And you shall bring them with you and leave them in the camp in which you spend the night.’ ”

4And Yehoshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Yisra’ĕl, one man from every tribe,

5and Yehoshua said to them, “Pass over before the ark of יהוה your Elohim into the midst of the Yardĕn, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Yisra’ĕl,

6so that this shall be a sign in your midst when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7“Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Yardĕn were cut off before the ark of the covenant of יהוה. When it passed over the Yardĕn, the waters of the Yardĕn were cut off. And these stones shall be for a remembrance to the children of Yisra’ĕl forever.”

8And the children of Yisra’ĕl did so, as Yehoshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Yardĕn, as יהוה had spoken to Yehoshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and took them over with them to their camp, and laid them down there.

9Yehoshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Yardĕn, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood. And they are there to this day.

10And the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Yardĕn until every matter was finished that יהוה had commanded Yehoshua to speak to the people, according to all that Mosheh had commanded Yehoshua. And the people hastened and passed over.

11And it came to be, when all the people had completely passed over, that the ark of יהוה and the priests passed over in the presence of the people.

12And the sons of Re’uḇĕn, and the sons of Gaḏ, and half the tribe of Menashsheh passed over in fives before the children of Yisra’ĕl, as Mosheh had spoken to them.

13About forty thousand armed ones of the army passed over before יהוה for battle, to the desert plains of Yeriḥo.

14On that day יהוה made Yehoshua great before the eyes of all Yisra’ĕl. And they feared him, as they had feared Mosheh, all the days of his life.

15And יהוה spoke to Yehoshua, saying,

16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Witness, and let them come up from the Yardĕn.”

17And Yehoshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Yardĕn.”

18And it came to be, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of יהוה had come from the midst of the Yardĕn, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Yardĕn returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.

19And the people came up from the Yardĕn on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Yeriḥo.

20And those twelve stones which they took out of the Yardĕn, Yehoshua set up in Gilgal.

21And he said to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’

22then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Yisra’ĕl passed over this Yardĕn on dry land,’

23for יהוה your Elohim dried up the waters of the Yardĕn before you until you had passed over, as יהוה your Elohim did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us until we had passed over,

24so that all the peoples of the earth shall know the hand of יהוה, that it is strong, so that you shall fear יהוה your Elohim forever.”