Joshua 3
1 Joshua rose up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They lodged there before they passed over.
Joshua got up early in the morning, and they set out from Shittim. They came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and they camped there before they crossed over.
2 It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;
After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp;
3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of YHWH your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it.
they commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and the priests from the Levites carrying it, you must leave this place and follow it.
4 However, keep a distance of about two thousand nine hundred fifty-three feet between yourselves and the ark. Do not come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before."
There must be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits. Do not come close to it, so that you can see which way to go, since you have not gone this way before.”
5 Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow YHWH will do wonders among you."
Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves tomorrow, for Yahweh will do wonders among you.”
6 Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people." They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
Then Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass in front of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went in front of people.
7 YHWH said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will make you a great man in the eyes of all Israel. They will know that as I was with Moses, I will be with you.
8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"
You will command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, 'When you have come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you must stand still in the Jordan River.'”
9 Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of YHWH your God."
Then Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here, and listen to the words of Yahweh your God.
10 Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hethite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
By this you will know that the living God is among you and will drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Look, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.
Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth crosses over ahead of you into the Jordan.
12 Now therefore take twelve men from the children of Israel, one man for each tribe.
Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each.
13 It shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of YHWH, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."
When the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and even the waters that flow down from upstream will stop flowing and they will stand in one heap.”
14 It happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people,
So when the people set out to cross over the Jordan, the priests that carried the ark of the covenant went ahead of the people.
15 and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
As soon as those who were carrying the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of those who carried the chest were dipped in the edge of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of the harvest),
16 that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over right against Jericho.
the waters that flowed down from upstream stood up in one heap. The water stopped flowing from a great distance. The waters stopped flowing from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, all the way down to the sea of the Negev, the Salt Sea. The people crossed over near Jericho.
17 The priests who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.
The priests that carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the people of Israel crossed over on dry ground.
