Iosue 3
1 igitur Iosue de nocte consurgens movit castra egredientesque de Setthim venerunt ad Iordanem ipse et omnes filii Israhel et morati sunt ibi per tres dies
Joshua [and all the other Israelis] got up early [the next] morning. They left [their camp at] Acacia and went [down] to the Jordan [River]. They camped there for two nights.
2 quibus evolutis transierunt praecones per castrorum medium
Then the leaders went throughout the camp,
3 et clamare coeperunt quando videritis arcam foederis Domini Dei vestri et sacerdotes stirpis leviticae portantes eam vos quoque consurgite et sequimini praecedentes
telling the people, “You will see some of the priests, who are descendants of Levi, carrying the chest that contains the Ten Commandments that Yahweh our God gave us. When you see them, leave the places where you are camped and follow them.
4 sitque inter vos et arcam spatium cubitorum duum milium ut procul videre possitis et nosse per quam viam ingrediamini quia prius non ambulastis per eam et cavete ne adpropinquetis ad arcam
You have not been (here/along this road) before, [so you must follow the priests]. But do not walk close to the chest. Stay (1,000 yards/900 meters) from the chest. [The chest is sacred, so (God will punish you/you will be punished) if you come close to it].”
5 dixitque Iosue ad populum sanctificamini cras enim faciet Dominus inter vos mirabilia
Then Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies needed to make yourselves acceptable to Yahweh, because tomorrow he is going to do things for you that will amaze you!”
6 et ait ad sacerdotes tollite arcam foederis et praecedite populum qui iussa conplentes tulerunt et ambulaverunt ante eos
Then Joshua said to the priests, “Carry the chest and go in front of the [rest of the] people.” So they lifted up the chest and went ahead.
7 dixitque Dominus ad Iosue hodie incipiam exaltare te coram omni Israhel ut sciant quod sicut cum Mosi fui ita et tecum sim
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This is the day that I will begin to show all the Israeli people that you are a great leader. Then they will honor you, and know that I am with/helping you as I (was with/helped) Moses.
8 tu autem praecipe sacerdotibus qui portant arcam foederis et dic eis cum ingressi fueritis partem aquae Iordanis state in ea
Tell the priests who are carrying the chest that contains the Ten Commandments, ‘When you come to the edge of the Jordan [River], stand in the water.’”
9 dixitque Iosue ad filios Israhel accedite huc et audite verba Domini Dei vestri
Then Joshua said to the Israeli people, “Come close to me in order that you can listen to what Yahweh, your God, is saying.”
10 et rursum in hoc inquit scietis quod Dominus Deus vivens in medio vestri est et disperdat in conspectu vestro Chananeum Hettheum Eveum et Ferezeum Gergeseum quoque et Amorreum et Iebuseum
[When they came near], he said to them, “This is how you will know that God, who is all-powerful, is among you, and that he will expel for you the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Hiv, Periz, Girgash, Amor, and Jebus [who are now living in that land].
11 ecce arca foederis Domini omnis terrae antecedet vos per Iordanem
Keep in mind that Yahweh is the one who rules over all the earth. The chest belongs to him, and it will be carried into the Jordan River ahead of you.
12 parate duodecim viros de tribubus Israhel singulos per singulas tribus
So choose twelve men, [one from each] of the tribes of Israel, [and I will tell you later what I want them to do].
13 et cum posuerint vestigia pedum suorum sacerdotes qui portant arcam Domini Dei universae terrae in aquis Iordanis aquae quae inferiores sunt decurrent atque deficient quae autem desuper veniunt in una mole consistent
As for the priests who are carrying the chest, as soon as they put their feet into the Jordan [River], the water will stop flowing. It will pile up because I will cause it to be blocked upstream.”
14 igitur egressus est populus de tabernaculis suis ut transirent Iordanem et sacerdotes qui portabant arcam foederis pergebant ante eum
So when the [Israeli] people packed up their tents in order to cross the river, the priests who were carrying the chest containing the Ten Commandments went in front of them.
15 ingressisque eis Iordanem et pedibus eorum tinctis in parte aquae cum Iordanis autem ripas alvei sui tempore messis impleret
[It was springtime], when people harvest their crops, [and] at that time the river floods over its banks. But as soon as the priests reached the edge of the river and stepped into the water,
16 steterunt aquae descendentes in uno loco et instar montis intumescentes apparebant procul ab urbe quae vocatur Adom usque ad locum Sarthan quae autem inferiores erant in mare Solitudinis quod nunc vocatur Mortuum descenderunt usquequo omnino deficerent
the water stopped flowing. The water piled up far [upstream], at a town named Adam, near Zarethan. The water stopped flowing down to the Dead Sea. So the people were able to cross the river near Jericho.
17 populus autem incedebat contra Iordanem et sacerdotes qui portabant arcam foederis Domini stabant super siccam humum in medio Iordanis accincti omnisque populus per arentem alveum transiebat
The priests who were carrying the chest containing the Ten Commandments that Yahweh [had given them] stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan [riverbed], while the rest of the Israeli people crossed the river [as though they were crossing] dry ground.
