Joshua 4:1–6

THE MEMORIAL STONES

4 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,c the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,d 3 and command them: Take twelve stonese 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.”

4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, 5 and 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, 6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’f