| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, | 1When the entire nation was on the other side, the LORD told Joshua, |
| 2“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, | 2"Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. |
| 3and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” | 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.'" |
| 4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. | 4Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. |
| 5And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people 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. |
| 6that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ | 6The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, 'Why are these stones important to you?' |
| 7then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial 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." |
| 8And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. | 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. |
| 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they 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. |
| 10For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. | 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 when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before 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 sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told 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 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to 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 stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. | 14That day the LORD brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected him all his life, just as they had respected Moses. |
| 15And the LORD said to Joshua, | 15The LORD told Joshua, |
| 16“Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of 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 out of the Jordan.” | 17So Joshua instructed the priests, "Come up from the Jordan!" |
| 18And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its 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. |
| 19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east 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 those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. | 20Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. |
| 21And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ | 21He told the Israelites, "When your children someday ask their fathers, 'What do these stones represent?' |
| 22then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this 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 for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed 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. |
| 24so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” | 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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