Joshua 3

1In the morning Joshua rose, and he and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and reached the Jordan, where they passed the night before they crossed over. 2Three days afterwards the officers went through the camp 3and gave this order to the nation: ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lordyour God being carried by the priestly Levites, then set out and follow it, 4so that you can learn the ford by which you are to cross, because you have never crossed here before. Only, you must not come close to the ark. Between it and you there must be a space kept of two thousand cubits.’ 5Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lordwill do wonders among you.’ 6To the priests he said, ‘Lift the ark of the covenant and go in front of the people.’ So they lifted the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people. 7And the said Lordto Joshua, ‘This day I begin to exalt you in the sight of Israel, to let them see that as I was with Moses so I will be with you. 8Order the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to stand still in the Jordan as soon as they reach the edge of the water.’ 9Then Joshua told the Israelites to come and listen to the words of the , Lordtheir God. 10Joshua said, ‘This is to let you see that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail evict before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing the Jordan in front of you. 12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, a man from each tribe. 13Whenever the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the covenant of the , Lordthe Lord of all the earth, rest in the water of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be stopped. The waters which are flowing down, they will be dammed up.’ 14And when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, headed by the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, 15as soon as the bearers reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests dipped in the water at the edge (for the Jordan overflows its banks all the time of harvest), 16the waters that flow down stopped and were dammed up at a distance, at Adam (a town beside Zarethan), while the waters that flow away to the sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) 3:16 Heb. Salt Seawere cut off and failed. In this way the people crossed, opposite Jericho.