Joshua 3:15-17
Contemporary English Version
15 until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime.[a] But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, 16-17 the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.
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- 3.15 springtime: Or “harvest time”; the grain harvest was in late spring.
Joshua 3:15-17
New King James Version
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and (A)the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the (B)Jordan overflows all its banks (C)during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away [a]at Adam, the city that is beside (D)Zaretan. So the waters that went down (E)into the Sea of the Arabah, (F)the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; (G)and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
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- Joshua 3:16 Qr., many mss. and vss. from Adam
Joshua 3:15-17
English Standard Version
15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and (A)the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now (B)the Jordan overflows all its banks (C)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 (D)Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of (E)the Arabah, (F)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, (G)and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.


