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)”

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(A) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(B) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[a](C)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(D) is a witness between you and me today.”^(E) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[b](F) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(G) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(H) between you and me.”^(I)

⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,^(J) and here is this pillar^(K) I have set up between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(L) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(M) and pillar to my side to harm me.^(N)

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

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

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(L) from the middle of the Jordan,^(M) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(N) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones^(O) 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.^(P)

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)”

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant^(A) for the people, and there at Shechem^(B) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^(C)

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant^(A) for the people, and there at Shechem^(B) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^(C)