Joshua 4:13-18

Contemporary English Version

The People of Israel Set Up Camp at Gilgal

^10-13 The army got ready for battle and crossed the Jordan with everyone else. They marched quickly past the sacred chest^[a] and into the desert near Jericho. Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh^[b] led the way, as Moses had ordered.^[c]

The priests stayed right where they were until the people had followed the orders that the Lord had given Moses and Joshua. Then they watched as the priests carried the chest the rest of the way across.

^14-18 “Joshua,” the Lord said, “tell the priests to come up from the Jordan and bring the chest with them.” So Joshua went over to the priests and told them what the Lord had said. And as soon as the priests carried the chest past the highest place that the floodwaters of the Jordan had reached, the river flooded its banks again.

That's how the Lord showed the Israelites that Joshua was their leader.^[d] For the rest of Joshua's life, they respected him as they had respected Moses.