²⁶ And Joshua recorded^(A) these things in the Book of the Law of God.^(B) Then he took a large stone^(C) and set it up there under the oak^(D) near the holy place of the Lord.

⁶ Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo^(A) gathered beside the great tree^(B) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(A) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(B) at Shechem.^(C)

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)”

²⁴ After Moses finished writing^(A) in a book the words of this law^(B) from beginning to end, ²⁵ he gave this command to the Levites who carried^(C) the ark of the covenant of the Lord: ²⁶ “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.^(D)

⁴ Moses then wrote^(A) down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning and built an altar^(B) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars^(C) representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(A) died and was buried under the oak^(B) outside Bethel.^(C) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[a]

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(A) and set it up as a pillar^(B) and poured oil on top of it.^{(C) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[a](D) though the city used to be called Luz.^(E)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(F) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(G) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(H) 21} so that I return safely^(I) to my father’s household,^(J) then the Lord^[b] will be my God^{(K) 22} and^[c] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(L) will be God’s house,^(M) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(N)”

³ and tell them to take up twelve stones^(A) from the middle of the Jordan,^(B) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.^(C)”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men^(D) 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.^(E) 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^(F) among you. In the future, when your children^(G) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(H) 7} tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off^(I) 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^(J) to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(K) from the middle of the Jordan,^(L) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(M) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones^(N) that had been^[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.^(O)