Y sucedió que cuando todo el pueblo acabó de pasar el Jordán^a, el SEÑOR habló a Josué, diciendo: 2 Escoged doce hombres del pueblo, uno de cada tribu^a, 3 y ordenadles, diciendo: «Tomad doce piedras de aquí, de en medio del Jordán, del lugar donde los pies de los sacerdotes están firmes, y llevadlas con vosotros y colocadlas en el alojamiento donde habéis de pasar la noche^a». 4 Llamó, pues, Josué a los doce hombres que había señalado de entre los hijos de Israel, uno de cada tribu; 5 y Josué les dijo: Pasad delante del arca¹ del SEÑOR vuestro Dios al medio del Jordán, y alce cada uno una piedra sobre su hombro, de acuerdo con el número de las tribus de los hijos de Israel. 6 Sea esto¹ una señal entre vosotros, y más tarde² cuando vuestros hijos pregunten, diciendo: «¿Qué significan estas piedras para vosotros^a?», 7 les diréis: «Es que las aguas del Jordán quedaron cortadas delante del arca del pacto del SEÑOR; cuandoesta pasó el Jordán, las aguas del Jordán quedaron cortadas^a». Así que estas piedras servirán como recuerdo a los hijos de Israel para siempre^b.

8 Y lo hicieron así los hijos de Israel, tal como Josué ordenó, y alzaron doce piedras de en medio del Jordán, como el SEÑOR dijo a Josué, según el número de las tribus de los hijos de Israel; y las llevaron consigo al alojamiento y allí las depositaron^a. 9 Entonces Josué levantó doce piedras^a en medio del Jordán, en el lugar donde habían estado los pies de los sacerdotes que llevaban el arca del pacto, y allí permanecen hasta hoy. 10 Porque los sacerdotes que llevaban el arca estuvieron parados en medio del Jordán hasta que se cumpliera todo lo que el SEÑOR había mandado a Josué que dijera al pueblo, de acuerdo con todo lo que Moisés había mandado a Josué. Y el pueblo se apresuró y pasó; 11 y sucedió que cuando todo el pueblo había acabado de pasar, el arca del SEÑOR y los sacerdotes pasaron delante del pueblo. 12 Y los hijos de Rubén, los hijos de Gad y la media tribu de Manasés pasaron en orden de batalla delante de los hijos de Israel^a, tal como Moisés les había dicho; 13 como cuarenta mil, equipados para la guerra, pasaron delante del SEÑOR hacia los llanos de Jericó, listos para la batalla. 14 Aquel día el SEÑOR engrandeció a Josué ante los ojos de todo Israel; y le temieron¹, tal como habían temido² a Moisés todos los días de su vida^a.

15 Entonces habló el SEÑOR a Josué, diciendo: 16 Ordena a los sacerdotes que llevan el arca del testimonio^a que suban del Jordán. 17 Y Josué mandó a los sacerdotes, diciendo: Subid del Jordán. 18 Y sucedió que cuando los sacerdotes que llevaban el arca del pacto del SEÑOR subieron de en medio del Jordán, y las plantas de los pies de los sacerdotes salieron¹ a tierra seca, las aguas del Jordán volvieron a su lugar y corrieron sobre todas sus riberas como antes.

19 El pueblo subió del Jordán el día diez del mes primero^a y acamparon en Gilgal al lado oriental de Jericó. 20 Y aquellas¹ doce piedras que habían sacado del Jordán^a, Josué las erigió en Gilgal^b. 21 Y habló a los hijos de Israel, diciendo: Cuando vuestros hijos pregunten a sus padres el día de mañana, diciendo: «¿Qué significan estas piedras?», 22 entonces lo explicaréis a vuestros hijos, diciendo: «Israel cruzó este Jordán en tierra seca^a». 23 Porque el SEÑOR vuestro Dios secó las aguas del Jordán delante de vosotros hasta que pasasteis, tal como el SEÑOR vuestro Dios había hecho al mar Rojo¹, el cual Él secó delante de nosotros hasta que pasamos^a, 24 para que todos los pueblos de la tierra conozcan que la mano del SEÑOR es poderosa^a, a fin de que temáis¹ al SEÑOR vuestro Dios para siempre^2b.

Now when the entire nation had finished crossing the ^aJordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “^aTake for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firmly, and carry them over with you and lay them down in ^athe encampment where you will spend the night.’” 4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “¹Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6 ¹This shall be a sign among you; ^awhen your children ask ²later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘That the ^awaters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; 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.”

8 So the sons of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to ^athe encampment and put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve ^astones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed 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; 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, then the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed in front of the people. 12 ^aThe sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about forty thousand equipped for war, crossed for battle before the LORD to the desert plains of Jericho.

14 ^aOn that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they ¹revered him, just as they had ²revered Moses all the days of his life.

15 Now the LORD said to ¹Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry ^athe ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 It came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were ¹lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the ^atenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal, on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 As for ^1athose twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set them up ^bat Gilgal. 21 And he said to the sons of ¹Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on ^adry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the ¹Red Sea, ^awhich He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 so that ^aall the peoples of the earth may know that the ^bhand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may ^1cfear the LORD your God ²forever.”

So it was when all the nation had finished crossing the ^aJordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “^aTake for yourselves the twelve men chosen from among the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, ‘Pick up for yourselves twelve stones one each from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm; carry them over with you and lay them down at ^athe place where you will spend the night tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “Cross over again to the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, 6 so that this may be a sign among you; ^awhen your children ask later, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them that the ^awaters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall become a ^bmemorial for Israel forever.”

8 So the twelve men chosen from the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had spoken to Joshua; and they carried them over with them to ^athe place where they were spending the night and put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up a second monument of twelve ^astones in the midst of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in accordance with everything that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried and crossed the dry riverbed; 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 ^aThe sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle before the other sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about 40,000 men armed and equipped for war crossed for battle before the LORD to the desert plains of Jericho.

14 ^aOn that day the LORD magnified and exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; so they feared him with profound awe and reverence, just as they had feared Moses all the days of his life.

15 Now the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Order the priests carrying ^athe ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 When the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet were raised up to the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the ^atenth day of the first month and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 ^aAnd those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up ^bin Gilgal. 21 He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on ^adry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, ^awhich He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 so that ^aall the peoples of the earth may know without any doubt and acknowledge that the ^bhand of the LORD is mighty and extraordinarily powerful, so that you will ^cfear the LORD your God and obey and worship Him with profound awe and reverence forever.”