1
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed overJordan, that the LORDspake unto Joshua, saying,
2Take you twelvemen out of the people, out of everytribe a man,
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And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feetstoodfirm, twelvestones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4
Then Joshuacalled the twelvemen, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of everytribe a man:
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And Joshuasaid unto them, Pass overbefore the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye upeveryman of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
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That this may be a signamong you, that when your childrenask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut offbefore the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed overJordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israelforever.
8
And the children of Israeldid so as Joshuacommanded, and took uptwelvestones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORDspake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9
And Joshua set uptwelvestones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenantstood: and they are there unto this day.
10
For the priests which bare the arkstood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORDcommandedJoshua to speak unto the people, according to all that MosescommandedJoshua: and the peoplehasted and passed over.
11
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed overarmedbefore the children of Israel, as Mosesspake unto them:
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About fortythousandprepared for war passed overbefore the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14
On that day the LORDmagnifiedJoshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they fearedMoses, all the days of his life.
15
And the LORDspake unto Joshua, saying,
16Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18
And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordanreturned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19
And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the firstmonth, and encamped in Gilgal, in the eastborder of Jericho.
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And those twelvestones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshuapitch in Gilgal.
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And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
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Then ye shall let your childrenknow, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
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For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your Goddid to the Redsea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
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That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.