Joshua 3
Lexham English Bible
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
3 Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Acacia Grove.[a] And they came up to the Jordan, he and all the Israelites,[b] and they spent the night there before they crossed over. 2 At the end of the three days the officers passed through the midst of the camp, 3 and they commanded the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God you must set out from your place and go after it. 4 But there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement.[c] Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on this way before.”[d] 5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, because tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.”[e] And they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.[f]
7 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin exalting you in the sight[g] of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you. 8 You will command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘At the moment that you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the Israelites,[h] “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” 10 Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is in your midst, and he will certainly drive out the Canaanites from before you,[i] and the Hittites, Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth[j] is about to cross over ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 So then, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.[k] 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of all the earth,[l] rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off upstream,[m] and they will stand still in one heap.
14 And it happened, when the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were ahead of the people.[n] 15 When those carrying the ark came up to the Jordan, and the priests carrying the ark dipped their feet in the edge of the water (the Jordan was flowing over its banks during all the days of harvest), 16 the waters flowing down from above stood still; they stood up in one heap very far from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while the waters flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,[o] were completely cut off;[p] and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on the dry land in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation finished crossing the Jordan.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:1 Hebrew “Shittim”
- Joshua 3:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 3:4 That is, about 1 km
- Joshua 3:4 Literally “from yesterday three days before”
- Joshua 3:6 Literally “before the presence of the people”
- Joshua 3:6 Literally “before the presence of the people”
- Joshua 3:7 Literally “in the eyes”
- Joshua 3:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 3:10 Or “from your presence”
- Joshua 3:11 Or “world”
- Joshua 3:12 Literally “one man for the tribe”
- Joshua 3:13 Or “world”
- Joshua 3:13 Literally “going down from above”
- Joshua 3:14 Literally “before the presence of the people”
- Joshua 3:16 That is, the Dead Sea
- Joshua 3:16 Literally “they were completed they were cut off”
Joshua 3
International Standard Version
Joshua Prepares to Conquer Jericho
3 Joshua got up early the next morning. Accompanied by all the Israelis, he set out from the Acacia groves and arrived at the Jordan River, where they encamped before crossing it. 2 Three days later, the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people. They said, “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then get up, leave where you are, and follow it. 4 Be sure to keep a distance of about 2,000 cubits[a] between you and it. Don’t come near it, so you can be certain where you’re going, since you haven’t passed this way before.”
5 Then Joshua addressed the people: “Consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will do marvelous things among you.”
6 After this, Joshua[b] instructed the priests, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the Ark of the Covenant and went on ahead of the people.
The Lord Addresses Joshua
7 At this point, the Lord told Joshua, “Today I’m going to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they’ll be sure that I’m going to be with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Give this command to the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you arrive at the water of the Jordan River, stand still in the Jordan.’”
Joshua Addresses Israel
9 So Joshua told the Israelis, “Come here and listen to what the Lord your God has to say.” 10 Joshua continued, “This is how you’ll know that the living God really is among you: he’s going to remove the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites right in front of you. 11 Look! The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of whole the earth is crossing ahead of you into the Jordan River. 12 So take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water in the Jordan River, the water that feeds the Jordan will be cut off from above and they’ll stand still in a single location.”
The Jordan River Stops Flowing
14 So the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan River, with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant in full view of the people. 15 When the priests who carried the ark entered the Jordan River, as their feet touched the water’s edge (The Jordan River overflows all of its banks daily during the harvest season.), 16 the water flowing downstream from above stood still in a single location, a great distance away at Adam, a city near Zarethan. The water that flowed south toward the sea in the Arabah (that is, the Dead[c] Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan River.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:4 I.e. about 1,000 yards
- Joshua 3:6 Lit. He
- Joshua 3:16 Lit. Salt; and so throughout the book
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