| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, | 1When the entire nation was on the other side, the LORD told Joshua, |
| 2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, | 2"Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. |
| 3and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’ ” | 3Instruct them, 'Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.'" |
| 4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, | 4Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. |
| 5and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, | 5Joshua told them, "Go in front of the ark of the LORD your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. |
| 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ | 6The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, 'Why are these stones important to you?' |
| 7you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.” | 7tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing. These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites." |
| 8Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down. | 8The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the LORD had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there. |
| 9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day. | 9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day. |
| 10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across, | 10Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly, |
| 11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. | 11and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed as the people looked on. |
| 12The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. | 12The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. |
| 13About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho. | 13About forty thousand battle-ready troops marched past the LORD to fight on the plains of Jericho. |
| 14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. | 14That day the LORD brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected him all his life, just as they had respected Moses. |
| 15Then the LORD said to Joshua, | 15The LORD told Joshua, |
| 16“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” | 16"Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws to come up from the Jordan." |
| 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” | 17So Joshua instructed the priests, "Come up from the Jordan!" |
| 18When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before. | 18The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land, the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage. |
| 19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. | 19The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. |
| 20And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. | 20Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. |
| 21Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ | 21He told the Israelites, "When your children someday ask their fathers, 'What do these stones represent?' |
| 22you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ | 22explain to your children, 'Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.' |
| 23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. | 23For the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the LORD your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it. |
| 24He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.” | 24He has done this so all the nations of the earth might recognize the LORD's power and so you might always obey the LORD your God." |
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