14When the people set out from their encampment to cross the Jordan, the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant were at the head of the people. 15Now the Jordan keeps flowing over its entire bed throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the bearers of the Ark reached the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the Ark dipped into the water at its edge, 16the waters coming down from upstream piled up in a single heap a great way off, atb Adam, the town next to Zarethan; and those flowing away downstream to the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) ran out completely. So the people crossed near Jericho. 17The priests who bore the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant stood on dry land exactly in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry land, until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
4 When the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2“Select twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3and instruct them as follows: Pick up twelve stones from the spot exactly in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests’ feet are standing; take them along with you and deposit them in the place where you will spend the night.”
4Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had designated among the Israelites, one from each tribe; 5and Joshua said to them, “Walk up to the Ark of the LORD your God, in the middle of the Jordan, and each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder—corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 6This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones for you?’ 7you shall tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And so these stones shall serve the people of Israel as a memorial for all time.”
8The Israelites did as Joshua ordered. They picked up twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel, from the middle of the Jordan—as the LORD had charged Joshua—and they took them along with them to their night encampment and deposited them there.
9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the spot where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood; and they have remained there to this day.
10The priests who bore the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until all the instructions that the LORD had ordered Joshua to convey to the people had been carried out. And so the people speedily crossed over, a-just as Moses had assured Joshua in his charge to him.-a 11And when all the people finished crossing, the Ark of the LORD and the priests advanced to the head of the people.
12The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manassch went across armedb in the van of the Israelites, as Moses had charged them.c 13About forty thousand shock troops went across, at the instance of the LORD, to the steppes of Jericho for battle.
14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him all his days as they had revered Moses.
15The LORD said to Joshua, 16“Command the priests who bear the Ark of the Pact to come up out of the Jordan.” 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18As soon as the priests who bore the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant came up out of the Jordan, and the feet of the priests stepped onto the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over its entire bed as before.
19The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20And Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21He charged the Israelites as follows: “In time to come, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of those stones?’ 22tell your children: ‘Here the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry land.’ 23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you crossed, just as the LORD your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us until we crossed. 24Thus all the peoples of the earth shall know how mighty is the hand of the LORD, and you shall fear the LORD your God always.”
5 When all the kings of the Amorites on the western side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites near the Sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sake of the Israelites until they crossed over, they lost heart, and no spirit was left in them because of the Israelites.
2At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and proceed with a second circumcision of the Israelites.” 3So Joshua had flint knives made, and the Israelites were circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth.a
4This is the reason why Joshua had the circumcision performed: All the people who had come out of Egypt, all the males of military age, had died during the desert wanderings after leaving Egypt. 5Now, whereas all the people who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, none of the people born after the exodus, during the desert wanderings, had been circumcised. 6For the Israelites had traveled in the wilderness forty years, until the entire nation—the men of military age who had left Egypt—had perished; because they had not obeyed the LORD, and the LORD had sworn never to let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to assign to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7But He had raised up their sons in their stead; and it was these that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, not having been circumcised on the way. 8After the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were, in the camp, until they recovered.
9And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.”b So that place was called Gilgal,c as it still is.
10Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening.
11On the day after the passover offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain. 12On that same day,d when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
13Once, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked him, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?” 14He replied, “No, I am captain of the LORD’s host. Now I have come!” Joshua threw himself face down to the ground and, prostrating himself, said to him, “What does my lord command his servant?” 15The captain of the LORD’s host answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
6 Now Jericho was shut up tight because of the Israelites; no one could leave or enter.
2The LORD said to Joshua, “See, I will deliver Jericho and her king [and her] warriors into your hands. 3Let all your troops march around the city and complete one circuit of the city. Do this six days, 4with seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns preceding the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5And when a long blast is sounded on the horn—as soon as you hear that sound of the horn—all the people shall give a mighty shout. Thereupon the city wall will collapse, and the people shall advance, every man straight ahead.”
6Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and let seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns precede the Ark of the LORD.” 7And he instructed the people, “Go forward, march around the city, with the vanguard marching in front of the Ark of the LORD.” 8When Joshua had instructed the people, the seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns advanced before the LORD, blowing their horns; and the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed them. 9The vanguard marched in front of the priests who were blowing the horns, and the rear guard marched behind the Ark, with the horns sounding all the time. 10But Joshua’s orders to the rest of the people were, “Do not shout, do not let your voices be heard, and do not let a sound issue from your lips until the moment that I command you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
11So he had the Ark of the LORD go around the city and complete one circuit; then they returned to camp and spent the night in camp. 12Joshua rose early the next day; and the priests took up the Ark of the LORD, 13while the seven priests bearing the seven ram’s horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. The vanguard marched in front of them, and the
