4So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel.

5He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

6We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’

7Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

8So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.

9Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.

10The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the Lord’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed.

11And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched.

12The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed.

13These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho.

14That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

15The Lord had said to Joshua,

16“Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant4:16 Hebrew Ark of the Testimony. to come up out of the riverbed.”

17So Joshua gave the command.

18As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.

19The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month.4:19 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.

20It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.

21Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’

22Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

23For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea4:23 Hebrew sea of reeds. when he dried it up until we had all crossed over.

24He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”