約書亞記 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
走過約旦河
3 約書亞清早起來，率領全體以色列人離開什亭，來到約旦河邊安營，等候過河。 2 過了三天，官長走遍各營，吩咐民眾說： 3 「你們看見做祭司的利未人抬著你們上帝耶和華的約櫃出發時，就要起身跟在後面。 4 這樣，你們就會知道路，因為你們從來沒有走過這條路。但你們要跟約櫃保持九百米的距離，不要走近約櫃。」 5 約書亞又對民眾說：「你們要潔淨自己，因為明天耶和華要在你們當中行奇事。」 6 約書亞又對祭司說：「抬起約櫃，率領民眾過河吧！」他們就抬起約櫃，走在民眾前面。
7 耶和華對約書亞說：「從今天開始，我要使你在以色列人面前得到尊榮，讓他們知道我與你同在，正如從前我跟摩西同在一樣。 8 你要吩咐抬約櫃的祭司走到約旦河邊，站在水中。」 9 約書亞對以色列人說：「你們要來聽你們的上帝耶和華的話。 10 今天你們會明白永活的上帝就在你們當中，祂必在你們面前趕走迦南人、赫人、希未人、比利洗人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人和耶布斯人。 11 看啊，天下之主的約櫃要在你們前面過約旦河。 12 現在，你們要從以色列的十二支派中選出十二個人來，每支派選一人。 13 當祭司抬著天下之主——耶和華的約櫃一踏進約旦河，往下流的河水必會止住，形成一道水堤。」
14-15 那時是收割的季節，河水高漲，淹沒兩岸。民眾拔營準備過河的時候，抬約櫃的祭司走在前頭，當他們的腳剛一踏進河水， 16 往下流的水立即止住了，在很遠的撒拉但附近的亞當城那裡漲成一道水牆。流入亞拉巴海，即鹽海的水被完全截斷了，民眾便走到對面的耶利哥。 17 以色列人過河的時候，抬耶和華約櫃的祭司站立在河中間的乾地上，直到所有人都從乾地上過了約旦河。
Joshua 3
Living Bible
3 Early the next morning Joshua and all the people of Israel left Acacia and arrived that evening at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped for a few days before crossing.
2-4 On the third day officers went through the camp giving these instructions: “When you see the priests carrying the Ark of God,[a] follow them. You have never before been where we are going now, so they will guide you. However, stay about a half mile behind, with a clear space between you and the Ark; be sure that you don’t get any closer.”
5 Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. “For tomorrow,” he said, “the Lord will do a great miracle.”
6 In the morning Joshua ordered the priests, “Take up the Ark and lead us across the river!” And so they started out.
7 “Today,” the Lord told Joshua, “I will give you great honor, so that all Israel will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Instruct the priests who are carrying the Ark to stop at the edge of the river.”
9 Then Joshua summoned all the people and told them, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God has said. 10 Today you are going to know for sure that the living God is among you and that he will, without fail, drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites—all the people who now live in the land you will soon occupy. 11 Think of it! The Ark of God, who is Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the river!
12 “Now select twelve men, one from each tribe, for a special task.[b] 13-14 When the priests who are carrying the Ark touch the water with their feet, the river will stop flowing as though held back by a dam, and will pile up as though against an invisible wall!” Now it was the harvest season and the Jordan was overflowing all its banks; but as the people set out to cross the river and as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 15-16 suddenly, far up the river at the city of Adam, near Zarethan, the water began piling up as though against a dam! And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was empty. Then all the people crossed at a spot where the river was close to the city of Jericho, 17 and the priests who were carrying the Ark stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan and waited as all the people passed by.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:2 the Ark of God, literally, “the Ark of the covenant of the Lord.”
- Joshua 3:12 for a special task. Their duties are explained in 4:2-7.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.