⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,^(A) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things^(B) 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^(C) in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.^(D)

¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth^(A) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.^{(B) 12} Now then, choose twelve men^(C) 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^(D)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream^(E) will be cut off^(F) and stand up in a heap.^(G)”

¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant^(H) went ahead^(I) of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan^(J) is at flood stage^(K) all during harvest.^(L) 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.^(M) It piled up in a heap^(N) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,^(O) while the water flowing down^(P) to the Sea of the Arabah^(Q) (that is, the Dead Sea^(R)) was completely cut off.^(S) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.^{(T) 17} The priests^(U) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,^(V) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.^(W)

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