| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: | 1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, |
| 2“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, | 2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, |
| 3and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ” | 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.’ ” |
| 4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; | 4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, |
| 5and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, | 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, |
| 6that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ | 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ |
| 7Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” | 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.” |
| 8And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. | 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. |
| 9Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. | 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. |
| 10So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. | 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, |
| 11Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. | 11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. |
| 12And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. | 12The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. |
| 13About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. | 13About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho. |
| 14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. | 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. |
| 15Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, | 15Then the LORD said to Joshua, |
| 16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” | 16“Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” |
| 17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” | 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” |
| 18And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before. | 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. |
| 19Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. | 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. |
| 20And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. | 20And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. |
| 21Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ | 21Then Joshua 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, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; | 22you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ |
| 23for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, | 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. |
| 24that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” | 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.” |
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