you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”(A)

The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there. Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle[a] of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:9 Or Now Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle

tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(A) 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(B) to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(C) from the middle of the Jordan,(D) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(E) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones(F) 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.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones