1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.’
4So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” 7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off 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 to the people of Israel for ever.’
8So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones 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.
10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
14That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
15Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16‘Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.’
17So Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’
18And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran in flood as before.
19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, “What do these stones mean?” 22tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” 23For 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 Sea4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.’
1Efter at folket var kommet godt over på den anden side, sagde Herren til Josva:
2-3„Sig til de 12 mænd, der blev udpeget af Israels 12 stammer, at de hver skal tage en sten fra det sted i flodlejet, hvor præsterne står, og tage stenene med sig til det sted, hvor I slår lejr i aften.”
4Så kaldte Josva de 12 mænd sammen 5og sagde til dem: „Nu kan I gå over, men stands midt ude i flodlejet, hvor pagtens ark er. Der skal hver af jer samle en sten op og bære den på skulderen over på den anden side, så der er en sten for hver af Israels 12 stammer. 6De sten skal være et minde, og når jeres børn i fremtiden spørger: ‚Hvad betyder de mindesten?’ 7skal I svare: ‚De minder os om dengang, Jordanflodens vand standsede for at lade Herrens Ark og folket passere.’ De sten skal altid minde Israels folk om det under, som skete, da vi krydsede Jordanfloden.”
8Mændene gjorde, som Josva havde sagt. De samlede 12 sten op fra flodlejet, én sten for hver stamme, sådan som Herren havde befalet Josva, og tog dem med sig til det sted, hvor de slog lejr for natten. 9Josva anbragte desuden 12 sten midt i floden på det sted, hvor præsterne stod med pagtens ark, og de sten er der den dag i dag. 10De præster, som bar arken, blev altså stående ude i flodlejet, indtil alt, hvad Herren havde befalet Josva, var udført. På den måde førte Josva folket over floden, sådan som Moses havde givet instrukser om. Folket skyndte sig over floden, mens præsterne stod i midten, 11og da de alle var kommet over, fulgte præsterne efter med arken, mens folket stod og så til.
12Som Moses havde befalet, gik de våbenføre mænd fra Rubens, Gads og Manasses halve stamme også med over floden. 13De udgjorde 40.000 bevæbnede krigere, som var klar til at kæmpe for Herren på Jerikos sletter. 14Herren gjorde det sådan, at Josva den dag vandt stor respekt i folkets øjne. Fremover viste de ham samme ærefrygt, som de havde vist Moses. 15-18Efter at Josva på Herrens befaling havde sagt til de præster, der stod med pagtens ark, at de skulle komme op af flodlejet, steg de op på bredden, og i samme øjeblik de satte foden på landjorden, strømmede vandet tilbage, og floden gik over sine bredder som før.
19Det var den tiende dag i årets første måned,4,19 Den første måned i Israels religiøse kalender kaldtes også aviv og senere nisan, jf. 2.Mos. 12 og 13,4. Det svarer til marts-april. at folket krydsede Jordanfloden og slog lejr ved Gilgal øst for Jeriko. 20Det var også der, Josva anbragte de 12 mindesten, de havde taget med fra midten af floden. 21Så gentog han over for hele Israels folk, hvad han allerede tidligere havde sagt: „I fremtiden, når jeres børn spørger: ‚Hvad betyder de mindesten?’ 22skal I sige: ‚De er til minde om, at Israels folk gik tørskoet over Jordanfloden.’ 23Fortæl dem, hvordan Herren holdt vandet tilbage for øjnene af jer, indtil alle var kommet over, ligesom han gjorde med Det Røde Hav, dengang Israels folk skulle krydse det. 24For alle jordens folk skal det være et tegn på Herrens vældige magt, og det skal hjælpe jer til altid at have respekt og ærefrygt for Herren, jeres Gud.”
