4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(A) the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men^(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones^(C) from the middle of the Jordan,^(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.^(E)”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men^(F) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.^(G) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign^(H) among you. In the future, when your children^(I) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(J) 7} tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off^(K) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial^(L) to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(M) from the middle of the Jordan,^(N) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(O) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones^(A) they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(B) 22} tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’^{(C) 23} For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea^[a] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.^{(D) 24} He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know^(E) that the hand of the Lord is powerful^(F) and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.^(G)”