After three days the officers went through the camp(A) and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests,(B) you must break camp and follow it. But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards[a] between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 3:4 Lit 2,000 cubits
  2. Joshua 3:4 Lit yesterday and the day before

Three days later, the leaders went through the camp 3-4 and gave the Israelites their marching orders.

They camped where Balaam had come to curse Israel and where the men of Israel had gone after the Moabite prostitutes (Numbers 22–25).

Leaders: Tomorrow, you will know it is time to go when you see the Levite priests carrying the covenant chest of the Eternal One, your God. Follow the chest so that you will know where you’re supposed to go because you have not been this way before. But stay about half a mile away from it. Don’t come any nearer than that as you march.

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