Joshua 3
New King James Version
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 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. 2 So it was, (B)after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 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. 4 (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.”
5 And Joshua said to the people, (F)“Sanctify[c] yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 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.
7 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. 8 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.’ ”
9 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
- Joshua 3:1 Heb. Shittim
- Joshua 3:3 carrying
- Joshua 3:5 Consecrate
- Joshua 3:7 make you great
- Joshua 3:16 Qr., many mss. and vss. from Adam
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.
Joshua 3
English Standard Version
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out (A)from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 (B)At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by (C)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 4 (D)Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits[a] in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” 5 Then Joshua said to the people, (E)“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, (F)“Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to (G)exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, (H)as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command (I)the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, (J)you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that (K)the living God is among you and that he will without fail (L)drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of (M)the Lord of all the earth[b] (N)is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore (O)take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, (P)from each tribe a man. 13 And (Q)when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, (R)the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall (S)stand in one heap.”
14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing (T)the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and (U)the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now (V)the Jordan overflows all its banks (W)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 (X)Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of (Y)the Arabah, (Z)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, (AA)and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Joshua 3:11 Hebrew the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
