The Beginning

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,^(A) because I have found you righteous^(B) in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean^(C) animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive^(D) throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from now I will send rain^(E) on the earth^(F) for forty days^(G) and forty nights,^(H) and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.^(I)”

⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.^(J)

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old^(K) when the floodwaters came on the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark^(L) to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Pairs of clean and unclean^(M) animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, ⁹ male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.^{(N) 10} And after the seven days^(O) the floodwaters came on the earth.

¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life,^(P) on the seventeenth day of the second month^(Q)—on that day all the springs of the great deep^(R) burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens^(S) were opened. ¹² And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.^(T)

¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons,^(U) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.^{(V) 14} They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind,^(W) everything with wings. ¹⁵ Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.^{(X) 16} The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah.^(Y) Then the Lord shut him in.

¹⁷ For forty days^(Z) the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.^{(AA) 20} The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.^{[a][b] (AB) 21} Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.^{(AC) 22} Everything on dry land that had the breath of life^(AD) in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth.^(AE) Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.^(AF)

²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.^(AG)

8 But God remembered^(AH) Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth,^(AI) and the waters receded. ² Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens^(AJ) had been closed, and the rain^(AK) had stopped falling from the sky. ³ The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days^(AL) the water had gone down, ⁴ and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month^(AM) the ark came to rest on the mountains^(AN) of Ararat.^{(AO) 5} The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

⁶ After forty days^(AP) Noah opened a window he had made in the ark ⁷ and sent out a raven,^(AQ) and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.^{(AR) 8} Then he sent out a dove^(AS) to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. ⁹ But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. ¹⁰ He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.^{(AT) 12} He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

¹³ By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year,^(AU) the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. ¹⁴ By the twenty-seventh day of the second month^(AV) the earth was completely dry.

¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.^{(AW) 17} Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”^(AX)

¹⁸ So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.^{(AY) 19} All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord^(AZ) and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean^(BA) birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings^(BB) on it. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(BC) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(BD) because of humans, even though^[c] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(BE) And never again will I destroy^(BF) all living creatures,^(BG) as I have done.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^(A) Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff^(B) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water^(C) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts^(D) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.^(E) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(F) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(G) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(H) also moved from in front and stood behind^(I) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(J) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand^(K) over the sea,^(L) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(M) and turned it into dry land.^(N) The waters were divided,^{(O) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(P) on dry ground,^(Q) with a wall^(R) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(S) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(T) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(U) 25} He jammed^[a] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting^(V) for them against Egypt.”^(W)

²⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.^(X) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(Y) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(Z) Not one of them survived.^(AA)

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(AB) with a wall^(AC) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(AD) Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand^(AE) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(AF) the Lord and put their trust^(AG) in him and in Moses his servant.

Crossing the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim^(A) and went to the Jordan,^(B) where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days^(C) the officers^(D) went throughout the camp,^{(E) 3} giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant^(F) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical^(G) priests^(H) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴ Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,^(J) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things^(K) among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you^(L) in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.^{(M) 8} Tell the priests^(N) who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ This is how you will know that the living God^(O) is among you^(P) and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites,^(Q) Hivites, Perizzites,^(R) Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.^{(S) 11} See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth^(T) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.^{(U) 12} Now then, choose twelve men^(V) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth^(W)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream^(X) will be cut off^(Y) and stand up in a heap.^(Z)”

¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant^(AA) went ahead^(AB) of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan^(AC) is at flood stage^(AD) all during harvest.^(AE) Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing.^(AF) It piled up in a heap^(AG) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,^(AH) while the water flowing down^(AI) to the Sea of the Arabah^(AJ) (that is, the Dead Sea^(AK)) was completely cut off.^(AL) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.^{(AM) 17} The priests^(AN) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,^(AO) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.^(AP)

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(AQ) the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men^(AR) from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones^(AS) from the middle of the Jordan,^(AT) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.^(AU)”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men^(AV) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.^(AW) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign^(AX) among you. In the future, when your children^(AY) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(AZ) 7} tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off^(BA) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial^(BB) to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(BC) from the middle of the Jordan,^(BD) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(BE) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones^(BF) that had been^[b] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.^(BG)

¹⁰ Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹ and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹² The men of Reuben,^(BH) Gad^(BI) and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(BJ) crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites,^(BK) as Moses had directed them.^{(BL) 13} About forty thousand armed for battle^(BM) crossed over^(BN) before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

¹⁴ That day the Lord exalted^(BO) Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law^(BP) to come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁸ And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place^(BQ) and ran at flood stage^(BR) as before.

¹⁹ On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal^(BS) on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones^(BT) they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(BU) 22} tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’^{(BV) 23} For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea^[c] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.^{(BW) 24} He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know^(BX) that the hand of the Lord is powerful^(BY) and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.^(BZ)”