Joshua 3
1 And Joshua rises early in the morning, and they journey from Shittim, and come to the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, and they lodge there before they pass over.
Early the following morning Joshua and the Israelites set out from Shittim and arrived at the banks of the Jordan. There they all spent the night before crossing over.
2 And it comes to pass, at the end of three days, that the authorities pass over into the midst of the camp,
Three days later those in charge of the people went through the camp
3 and command the people, saying, “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of your God YHWH, and the priests, the Levites, carrying it, then you journey from your place, and have gone after it;
telling the people, “When you see the Ark of the Agreement of the Lord your God carried by the priests, the Levites, you must leave the place where you are and follow it.
4 only, a distance is between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure; you do not come near to it, so that you know the way in which you go, for you have not passed over in the way before.”
That way you'll know which way to go, since you haven't been here before. Leave about 3,000 feet between you and the Ark. Don't go near it!”
5 And Joshua says to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow YHWH does wonders in your midst.”
Then Joshua said to the people, “Make sure you are pure, because tomorrow the Lord is going to do amazing things among you.”
6 And Joshua speaks to the priests, saying, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and pass over before the people”; and they take up the Ark of the Covenant, and go before the people.
Joshua spoke to the priests, “Pick up the Ark of the Agreement and go before the people.” So they picked up the Ark of the Agreement and went ahead of the people.
7 And YHWH says to Joshua, “This day I begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel, so that they know that as I was with Moses I am with you;
The Lord said to Joshua, “What I do today will confirm you as great leader in the sight of all the Israelites, so that they'll realize that just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8 and you, command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, saying, When you come to the extremity of the waters of the Jordan, stand in the Jordan.”
Tell the priests carrying the Ark of the Agreement, ‘When you get to the edge of the Jordan, take a few steps into the water and then stop.’”
9 And Joshua says to the sons of Israel, “Come near here, and hear the words of your God YHWH”;
So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to what the Lord your God has to say to you.
10 and Joshua says, “By this you know that the living God [is] in your midst, and He certainly dispossesses from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite:
This is how you will know that the living God is right here with you,” he told them. “You can be sure that he will drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
11 behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan;
Just watch—the Ark of the Agreement of the Lord of all the earth will cross in front of you through the Jordan.
12 and now, take for yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, one man—one man for a tribe;
Choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe.
13 and it has been, at the resting of the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of YHWH, Lord of all the earth, in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan are cut off—the waters which are coming down from above—and they stand—one heap.”
The moment the priests carrying the Ark step into the water the river will stop flowing and the water will pile up.”
14 And it comes to pass, in the journeying of the people from their tents to pass over the Jordan, and of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant before the people,
So the people broke camp and set out to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the Ark ahead of them.
15 and at those carrying the Ark coming to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the Ark have been dipped in the extremity of the waters (and the Jordan is full over all its banks all the days of harvest)—
As it was harvest season, the Jordan was full of water, overflowing its banks. But at the very moment the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the water, the river stopped flowing.
16 that the waters stand; those coming down from above have risen—one heap, very far above Adam, the city which [is] at the side of Zaretan; and those going down by the Sea of the Plain (the Salt Sea), have been completely cut off; and the people have passed through opposite Jericho;
The water piled up a long way upstream, at the town of Adam, near Zarethan, while downstream no more water flowed into the Dead Sea. So the people crossed over, opposite Jericho.
17 and the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH stand on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan—established, and all Israel are passing over on dry ground until all the nation has completed to pass over the Jordan.
The priests carrying the Ark stood on the dried-up riverbed of the Jordan as all the people went by, staying there until everyone had crossed over on dry ground.
