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Crossing the Jordan

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. After three days(C) the officers(D) went throughout the camp,(E) 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. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits[a](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,(J) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things(K) among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

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

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God(O) is among you(P) and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites,(Q) Hivites, Perizzites,(R) Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.(S) 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth(T) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.(U) 12 Now then, choose twelve men(V) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth(W)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream(X) will be cut off(Y) and stand up in a heap.(Z)

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant(AA) went ahead(AB) of them. 15 Now the Jordan(AC) is at flood stage(AD) all during harvest.(AE) 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.(AF) It piled up in a heap(AG) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,(AH) while the water flowing down(AI) to the Sea of the Arabah(AJ) (that is, the Dead Sea(AK)) was completely cut off.(AL) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.(AM) 17 The priests(AN) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,(AO) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 3:4 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters

La gente de Israel cruza el Jordán

Al día siguiente, muy de mañana, Josué y todos los israelitas levantaron el campamento de Sitim y avanzaron hasta el río Jordán. Acamparon allí, esperando el momento de cruzarlo.

Al segundo día, los jefes fueron por todo el campamento diciéndole a la gente: «Cuando vean a los sacerdotes salir con el cofre del pacto, levanten el campamento y síganlos. Ellos los guiarán porque ustedes no conocen el camino. Pero no se acerquen al cofre; manténganse por lo menos a un kilómetro de distancia».

Josué, por su parte, le dijo a todo el pueblo: «¡Prepárense para presentarse ante Dios! Mañana Dios hará un gran milagro entre nosotros».

Después les dijo a los sacerdotes: «Carguen sobre sus hombros el cofre del pacto y salgan; nosotros los seguiremos».

Y así lo hicieron.

Dios le dijo a Josué: «Lo que voy a hacer hoy convencerá a todo el pueblo de Israel de que estoy contigo como estuve con Moisés, y te reconocerán como líder. Diles a los sacerdotes que llevan el cofre del pacto que, cuando lleguen al río, entren al agua y se queden cerca de la orilla». Entonces Josué le pidió al pueblo que se acercara y le dijo:

10 «Dios nos ha prometido que a medida que avancemos, él irá desalojando a todos los habitantes de Canaán.[a] 11 Ustedes verán que el Dios vivo nos acompaña, cuando el cofre del pacto del dueño de toda la tierra cruce el Jordán delante de ustedes. 12-13 Cuando los sacerdotes que llevan el cofre toquen el agua con la planta de sus pies, el río Jordán dejará de correr, y el agua se acumulará como formando una gran pared. Además, Dios ha ordenado que escojamos a doce hombres, uno de cada tribu de Israel».

14-16 La gente dejó el campamento y se dispuso a cruzar el río Jordán en el tiempo de la cosecha, cuando el río se desborda a causa del agua que baja de la zona de Adam, cerca de Saretán. Los sacerdotes iban delante de ellos, con el cofre del pacto, y tan pronto como pusieron el pie en el río, el agua dejó de correr y se acumuló. La que corría hacia el Mar Muerto siguió su curso hasta desaparecer. Entonces el pueblo cruzó el río frente a la ciudad de Jericó. 17 Mientras todo el pueblo de Israel cruzaba sobre terreno seco, los sacerdotes que llevaban el cofre del pacto de Dios se detuvieron en medio del Jordán, hasta que todos terminaron de cruzar.

Footnotes

  1. Josué 3:10 Habitantes de Canaán: Se trata de los hititas, amorreos, cananeos, ferezeos, gergeseos, heveos y jebuseos, pueblos que vivían en las montañas, en la llanura y en la costa oriental del mar Mediterráneo, hasta el monte Líbano.

Therefore Joshua rose by night, and moved thence the tents; and they went out of Shittim, and came to (the) Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel (he and all the Israelites), and dwelled there three days.

And when those days were passed, criers/beadles went through the midst of the tents,

and began to cry, When ye see the ark of [the] bond of peace of your Lord God, and the priests of the generation of Levi bearing it, also then rise ye, and follow the before-goers; (and began to cry, When ye see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the levitical priests carrying it, then ye shall rise up, and follow them;)

and a space of two thousand cubits be betwixt you and the ark, (so) that ye may see (it from) [a]far, and (so that ye can) know by which way ye shall enter, for ye have not gone before by it (for ye have not gone this way before); and be ye ware, that ye nigh not to the ark.

And Joshua said to the people, Be ye hallowed, for tomorrow the Lord shall make marvels among you.

And Joshua said to the priests, Take ye the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, and go ye before the people. The which fulfilled the behests of Joshua, and they took the ark, and went before the people. (And Joshua said to the priests, Take ye the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and go ye before the people. And they obeyed Joshua’s commands, and they took the Ark, and went before the people.)

And the Lord said to Joshua, Today I shall begin to enhance thee before all Israel (Today I shall begin to magnify thee before all Israel), (so) that they know, that as I was with Moses, so I am also with thee.

Forsooth command thou to the priests, that bear the ark of [the] bond of peace, and say thou to them, When ye have entered into a part of the water of (the) Jordan, stand ye therein. (And command thou to the priests, who carry the Ark of the Covenant, and say thou to them, When ye have entered into a part of the water of the Jordan River, stand ye there.)

And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, Nigh ye hither, and hear ye the word of your Lord God. (And Joshua said to the Israelites, Come ye here, and hear ye the word of the Lord your God.)

10 And again he said, In this ye shall know that the Lord God living is in the midst of you (And he said, By this ye shall know that the living God is in the midst of you); and he shall destroy in your sight (the) Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, and Perizzites, and Girgashites, and Jebusites, and Amorites.

11 Lo! the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord of all earth shall go before you through Jordan. (Lo! the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth shall go before you across the Jordan River.)

12 Make ye ready twelve men of the twelve lineages of Israel, by each lineage one man. (Make ye ready twelve men of the twelve tribes of Israel, one man out of each tribe.)

13 And when the priests, that bear the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord God of all earth (who carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord God of all the earth), have set the steps of their feet in the waters of (the) Jordan, the waters that be lower shall run down, and shall fail; soothly the waters that come from above shall stand together in one gathering, or (in) a certain place.

14 Therefore the people went out of their tabernacles for to pass over (the) Jordan; and the priests that bare the ark of [the] bond of peace went before the people. (And so the people went out of their tents to cross over the Jordan River; and the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant went before the people.)

15 And when the priests entered into (the) Jordan, and their feet were dipped in the part of [the] water; forsooth (the) Jordan had filled the brinks of his trough in the time of ripe corn (for the Jordan River was filled to the brim of its trough at that time of harvest);

16 the waters (that) went down (from above halted), and stood in one place, and waxed great at the likeness of an hill, and appeared far from the city that was called Adam, till to the place of Zaretan; soothly the waters that were lower went down into the sea of (the) wilderness, which is now called the dead sea, till the waters failed utterly. Forsooth the people went through (the) Jordan; (the waters, that went down from above, stood in one place, and grew great like a hill, going back as far away as the city called Adam, which is close to the city of Zaretan; and the waters that were lower, or below, went down into the Sea of the Wilderness, which is now called the Dead Sea, until there was no water. And then the people crossed over opposite Jericho;)

17 and the priests, that bare the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, stood girded on the dry earth in the midst of (the) Jordan, and all the people passed [over] through the dry trough. (and the priests, who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, stood firmly on the dry earth in the midst of the Jordan River, until all the people had crossed over through the dry trough.)

And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.

10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out (A)from [a]Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, (B)after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, (C)“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, (D)and the priests, the Levites, [b]bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. (E)Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

And Joshua said to the people, (F)“Sanctify[c] yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, (G)“Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.”

So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to (H)exalt[d] you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, (I)as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command (J)the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, (K)you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”

So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that (L)the living God is among you, and that He will without fail (M)drive out from before you the (N)Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of (O)the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore, (P)take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. 13 And it shall come to pass, (Q)as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, (R)the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they (S)shall stand as a heap.”

14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the (T)ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and (U)the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the (V)Jordan overflows all its banks (W)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 [e]at Adam, the city that is beside (X)Zaretan. So the waters that went down (Y)into the Sea of the Arabah, (Z)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; (AA)and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 3:1 Heb. Shittim
  2. Joshua 3:3 carrying
  3. Joshua 3:5 Consecrate
  4. Joshua 3:7 make you great
  5. Joshua 3:16 Qr., many mss. and vss. from Adam