Joshua 4:1–7

Memorial Stones from the Jordan

¹Now it happened when all the nation had completed crossing the ^aJordan, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,

²“^aTake for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,

³and command them, saying, ‘Carry for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in ^athe lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’”

⁴So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;

⁵and Joshua said to them, “¹Cross again before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you carry a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

⁶in order that this would be a sign among you, so that ^awhen your children ask ¹later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

⁷then you shall say to them, ‘Because the ^awaters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a ^bmemorial to the sons of Israel forever.”