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
1599 Geneva Bible
3 3 Joshua commandeth them to depart when the Ark removeth. 7 The Lord promiseth to exalt Joshua before the people. 9 Joshua’s exhortation to the people. 16 The waters part asunder while the people pass.
1 Then Joshua rose very early, and they removed from Shittim, and came to [a]Jordan, he, and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they went over.
2 And after [b]three days, the officers went throughout the host,
3 And commanded the people, saying, When ye see the Ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the Priests of the Levites bearing it, ye shall depart from your place, and go after it.
4 Yet shall there be a space between you and it, about [c]two thousand cubits by measure: ye shall not come near unto it, that ye may know the way, by the which ye shall go: for ye have not gone this way in times past.
5 (Now Joshua had said unto the people, (A)Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.)
6 Also Joshua spake unto the Priests, saying, Take up the Ark of the covenant, and go over before the people: so they took up the Ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7 ¶ Then the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, which shall know, that (B)as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee.
8 Thou shalt therefore command the Priests that bear the Ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the waters of Jordan, ye shall stand still [d]in Jordan.
9 ¶ Then Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.
10 And Joshua said, [e]Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will certainly cast out 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 world passeth before you into Jordan.
12 Now therefore take from among you [f]twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13 And as soon as the soles of the feet of the Priests (that bear the Ark of the Lord God the Lord of all the world) shall stay in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off: for the waters that come from above, (C)shall stand still upon an heap.
14 ¶ Then when the people were departed from their tents to go over Jordan, the Priests bearing the (D)Ark of the covenant, went before the people.
15 And as they that bare the Ark, came unto Jordan, and the feet of the Priests that bare the Ark were dipped in the brink of the water, ((E)for Jordan useth to fill all his [g]banks all the time of harvest)
16 Then the waters that came down from above, stayed and rose upon an heap, and departed far from the city of Adam that was beside Zaretan: but the waters that came down toward the Sea of the wilderness, even the salt Sea, failed and were cut off: so the people went right over against Jericho.
17 But the Priests that bare the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, stood dry within Jordan [h]ready prepared, and all the Israelites went over dry, until all the people were clean gone over through Jordan.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:1 Which according to the Hebrews was in March, and about 40 days after Moses’ death.
- Joshua 3:2 Which time was given for to prepare them victuals, Josh. 1:11.
- Joshua 3:4 Or, a mile.
- Joshua 3:8 Even in the channel where the stream had run, as verse 17.
- Joshua 3:10 By this miracle in dividing the water.
- Joshua 3:12 Which should set up twelve stones in remembrance of the benefit.
- Joshua 3:15 Because the river was accustomed at this time to be full, the miracle is so much the greater.
- Joshua 3:17 Either tarrying till the people were past, or as some read, sure, as though they had been upon the dry land.
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