Joshua 3
1 And Joshua riseth early in the morning, and they journey from Shittim, and come in unto the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, and they lodge there before they pass over.
Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
2 And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days, that the authorities pass over into the midst of the camp,
After three days the officers went through the camp
3 and command the people, saying, 'When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then ye journey from your place, and have gone after it;
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
4 only, a distance is between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure; ye do not come near unto it, so that ye know the way in which ye go, for ye have not passed over in the way heretofore.'
But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
5 And Joshua saith unto the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow doth Jehovah do in your midst wonders.'
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
6 And Joshua speaketh unto 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.
And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
7 And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, 'This day I begin to make thee great in the eyes of all Israel, so that they know that as I was with Moses I am with thee;
Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
8 and thou, thou dost command the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye come unto the extremity of the waters of the Jordan — in the Jordan ye stand.'
Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”
9 And Joshua saith unto the sons of Israel, 'Come nigh hither, and hear the words of Jehovah your God;
So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”
10 and Joshua saith, 'By this ye know that the living God [is] in your midst, and He doth certainly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite:
He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
11 lo, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into Jordan;
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
12 and now, take for you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, one man — one man for a tribe;
Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
13 and it hath been, at the resting of the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of Jehovah, 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.'
When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
14 And it cometh to pass, in the journeying of the people from their tents to pass over the Jordan, and of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.
15 and at those bearing the ark coming in unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing 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) —
Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
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 over-against Jericho;
the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17 and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stand on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan — established, and all Israel are passing over on dry ground till that all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.
