¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth^(A) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.^{(B) 12} Now then, choose twelve men^(C) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth^(D)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream^(E) will be cut off^(F) and stand up in a heap.^(G)”

¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant^(H) went ahead^(I) of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan^(J) is at flood stage^(K) all during harvest.^(L) Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(A) the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men^(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones^(C) from the middle of the Jordan,^(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.^(E)”

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

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(M) from the middle of the Jordan,^(N) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(O) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.