¹⁸ The priests carrying the Lord’s covenant chest came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet touched dry ground. At that moment, the water of the Jordan started flowing again. It ran as before, completely over its banks. ¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month.^[a] They camped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

Stones at Gilgal

²⁰ Joshua set up at Gilgal those twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask their parents, ‘What about these stones?’ ²² Then you will let your children know: ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.’ ²³ This was because the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you crossed over. This was exactly what the Lord your God did to the Reed Sea.^[b] He dried it up before us until we crossed over. ²⁴ This happened so that all the earth’s peoples might know that the Lord’s power is great and that you may always revere the Lord your God.”

Enemy kings react

5 All the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over. Then their hearts melted. They lost all courage because of the Israelites.

Circumcision

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make yourself flint knives. Circumcise the Israelites for a second time.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives for himself. He circumcised the Israelites at Foreskins Hill.