| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, | 1After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua: " |
| 2“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, | 2Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each 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.’” | 3and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night." |
| 4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. | 4So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each 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, | 5and said to them, "Go across to the ark of the LORD your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each 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?’ | 6so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean 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.” | 7you should tell them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the LORD's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan's waters were cut off.' Therefore these stones will always be a 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 had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down 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 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this 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. | 10The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across, |
| 11And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. | 11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. |
| 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 half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites, as Moses had instructed them. |
| 13About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. | 13About 40,000 equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the LORD's presence. |
| 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. | 14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered 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.” | 16Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan." |
| 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” | 17So Joshua commanded 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. | 18When the priests carrying the ark of the LORD's covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet stepped out on solid ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over all the banks as before. |
| 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 came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho. |
| 20And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. | 20Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 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?’ | 21and he said to the Israelites, "In the future, when your children ask their fathers, 'What is the meaning of these stones?' |
| 22then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ | 22you should tell your children, 'Israel crossed the Jordan 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 waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. |
| 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.” | 24This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the LORD's hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God." |
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