| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: | 1After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua: " |
| 2“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, | 2Choose 12 men from the people, one man for 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 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 whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; | 4So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for 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, "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, saying, ‘What do these 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 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 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 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. | 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, |
| 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, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites, 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 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 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 throughout his life, as they had revered Moses. |
| 15Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, | 15The LORD told Joshua, " |
| 16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” | 16Command 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 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. |
| 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. | 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 in Gilgal. | 20Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 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?’ | 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, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; | 22you should tell your children, '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 the LORD your God 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.” | 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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