The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar.

but as a reminder to us and you, and to our descendants who follow us, that we will honor the Lord in his very presence with burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no right to worship the Lord.’

After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant:

The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well! Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on the land.”

Then the two men returned – they came down from the hills, crossed the river, came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered.

Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing the river.

Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe.

The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.”

He replaced them with their sons, whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way.

So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho.

The manna stopped appearing the day they ate some of the produce of the land; the Israelites never ate manna again.

They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the Lord.

There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses.

So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities – Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. The whole community criticized the leaders,

“Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”

Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.

Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites.

No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon); they had to conquer all of them,