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.

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

¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth^(A)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream^(B) will be cut off^(C) and stand up in a heap.^(D)”

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