Joshua 3
English Standard Version
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out (A)from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 (B)At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by (C)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 4 (D)Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits[a] in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” 5 Then Joshua said to the people, (E)“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, (F)“Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to (G)exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, (H)as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command (I)the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, (J)you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that (K)the living God is among you and that he will without fail (L)drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of (M)the Lord of all the earth[b] (N)is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore (O)take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, (P)from each tribe a man. 13 And (Q)when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, (R)the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall (S)stand in one heap.”
14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing (T)the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and (U)the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now (V)the Jordan overflows all its banks (W)throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside (X)Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of (Y)the Arabah, (Z)the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, (AA)and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Joshua 3:11 Hebrew the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth
Joshua 3
New English Translation
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.[a] They camped there before crossing the river.[b] 2 After three days the leaders went through the camp 3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God[c] being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here[d] and walk[e] behind it. 4 But stay about 3,000 feet behind it.[f] Keep your distance[g] so you can see[h] which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform miraculous deeds among you.” 6 Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel,[i] so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River,[j] wade into the water.’”[k]
9 Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God!” 10 Joshua continued,[l] “This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord[m] of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. 13 When the feet[n] of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Lord[o] of the whole earth, touch[p] the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”[q]
14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went[r] ahead of them. 15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface[s] of the water—(the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)[t]— 16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing.[u] It piled up far upstream[v] at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the rift valley (the Salt Sea).[w] The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.[x]
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:1 tn Heb “And Joshua arose early in the morning and he and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.”
- Joshua 3:1 tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 3:3 sn The ark of the covenant refers to the wooden chest that symbolized God’s presence among his covenant people.
- Joshua 3:3 tn Heb “set out from your place.”
- Joshua 3:3 tn Or “march.”
- Joshua 3:4 tn Heb “But there should be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in measurement.”sn The precise distance is uncertain, but the measurement designated אַמָּה (ʾammah, “cubit”) was probably equivalent to approximately 18 inches, or 45 cm) in length.
- Joshua 3:4 tn Heb “do not approach it.”
- Joshua 3:4 tn Heb “know.”
- Joshua 3:7 tn Or more literally, “to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel.”
- Joshua 3:8 tn Heb “the edge of the waters of the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
- Joshua 3:8 tn Heb “stand in the Jordan.” Here the repetition of the word “Jordan” would be redundant according to contemporary English style, so it was not included in the translation.
- Joshua 3:10 tn Heb “said.”
- Joshua 3:11 tn Or “Ruler”; or “Master.”
- Joshua 3:13 tn Heb “the soles of the feet.”
- Joshua 3:13 tn Or “Ruler”; or “Master.”
- Joshua 3:13 tn Or “rest in.”
- Joshua 3:13 tn Heb “the waters of the Jordan, the waters descending from above, will be cut off so that they will stand in one pile.”
- Joshua 3:14 tn The verb, though not in the Hebrew, is added for clarification.
- Joshua 3:15 tn Heb “dipped into the edge.”
- Joshua 3:15 tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”sn The lengthy description of the priests’ arrival at the Jordan and the parenthetical reminder that the Jordan was at flood stage delay the climax of the story and add to its dramatic buildup.
- Joshua 3:16 tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”
- Joshua 3:16 tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”
- Joshua 3:16 tn Heb “the [waters] descending… were completely cut off.”sn The Salt Sea is an ancient name for the Dead Sea.
- Joshua 3:17 tn Heb “and all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”
Josué 3
Reina-Valera 1995
El paso del Jordán
3 Josué se levantó de mañana, partió de Sitim con todos los hijos de Israel y llegaron hasta el Jordán y reposaron allí antes de pasarlo. 2 Después de tres días, los oficiales recorrieron el campamento 3 y ordenaron al pueblo: «Cuando veáis el Arca del pacto de Jehová, vuestro Dios, y a los levitas sacerdotes que la llevan, saldréis del lugar donde estáis y marcharéis detrás de ella, 4 a fin de que sepáis el camino por donde habéis de ir, por cuanto vosotros no habéis pasado nunca antes por este camino. Pero que haya entre vosotros y el Arca una distancia como de dos mil codos; no os acercaréis a ella.»
5 Josué dijo al pueblo: «Santificaos, porque Jehová hará mañana maravillas entre vosotros.» 6 Después dijo a los sacerdotes: «Tomad el Arca del pacto y pasad delante del pueblo.»
Ellos tomaron el Arca del pacto y fueron delante del pueblo. 7 Entonces Jehová dijo a Josué: «Desde este día comenzaré a engrandecerte ante los ojos de todo Israel, para que entiendan que como estuve con Moisés, así estaré contigo. 8 Tú, pues, mandarás esto a los sacerdotes que llevan el Arca del pacto: “Cuando hayáis llegado a la orilla del agua del Jordán, os detendréis en el Jordán.”»
9 Josué dijo a los hijos de Israel: «Acercaos y escuchad las palabras de Jehová, vuestro Dios.» 10 Y añadió Josué: «En esto conoceréis que el Dios viviente está en medio de vosotros, y que él echará de delante de vosotros al cananeo, al heteo, al heveo, al ferezeo, al gergeseo, al amorreo y al jebuseo: 11 El Arca del pacto del Señor de toda la tierra pasará delante de vosotros en medio del Jordán. 12 Tomad, pues, ahora doce hombres de las tribus de Israel, uno de cada tribu. 13 Y cuando las plantas de los pies de los sacerdotes que llevan el Arca de Jehová, Señor de toda la tierra, se mojen en las aguas del Jordán, las aguas del Jordán se dividirán, porque las aguas que vienen de arriba se detendrán formando un muro.»
14 Aconteció que cuando el pueblo partió de sus tiendas para pasar el Jordán, con los sacerdotes delante del pueblo llevando el Arca del pacto, 15 y cuando los que llevaban el Arca entraron en el Jordán y los pies de los sacerdotes que llevaban el Arca se mojaron a la orilla del agua (porque el Jordán suele desbordarse por todas sus orillas todo el tiempo de la siega), 16 las aguas que venían de arriba se amontonaron bien lejos de la ciudad de Adam, que está al lado de Saretán, y las que descendían al mar del Arabá, al Mar Salado, quedaron separadas por completo, mientras el pueblo pasaba en dirección a Jericó. 17 Pero los sacerdotes que llevaban el Arca del pacto de Jehová, permanecieron firmes sobre suelo seco en medio del Jordán, hasta que todo el pueblo acabó de pasar el Jordán. Y todo Israel pasó por el cauce seco.
Joshua 3
King James Version
3 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7 And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.
9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.
10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995 by United Bible Societies