Then Joshua rose
early
in the morning
; and he and all
the sons
of Israel
set
out from aShittim
and came
to the Jordan
, and they lodged
there
before
they crossed
.
aAt the end of three
days
the officers
went
through
the midst
of the camp
;
and they commanded the people
, saying
, "When you see
the aark
of the covenant
of the LORD
your God
with the Levitical
priests
carrying
it, then you shall set
out from your place
and go
after
it.
"However, there shall be between
you and it a distance
of about 2,000
1cubits
by measure
. Do not come
near
it, that you may know
the way
by which
you shall go
, for you have not passed
this way
before
."
Then Joshua said
to the people
, " aConsecrate
yourselves, for tomorrow
the LORD
will do
wonders
among
you."
And Joshua spoke
to the priests
, saying
, "Take
up the ark
of the covenant
and cross
over
ahead
of the people
." So they took
up the ark
of the covenant
and went
ahead
of the people
.
Now the LORD said
to Joshua
, "This
day
I will begin
to aexalt
you in the sight
of all
Israel
, that they may know
that just
as I have been
with Moses
, I will be with you.
"You shall, moreover, command the priests
who are carrying
the ark
of the covenant
, saying
, `When you come
to the edge
of the waters
of the Jordan
, you shall stand
still in the Jordan
.' "
Then Joshua said
to the sons
of Israel
, "Come
here
, and hear
the words
of the LORD
your God
."
Joshua said
, "By this
you shall know
that athe living
God
is among
you, and that He will assuredly
bdispossess
from before
you the Canaanite
, the Hittite
, the Hivite
, the Perizzite
, the Girgashite
, the Amorite
, and the Jebusite
.
"Behold, the ark
of the covenant
of athe Lord
of all
the earth
is crossing
over
ahead
of you into the Jordan
.
"Now then, atake
for yourselves twelve
men
from the tribes
of Israel
, one
man
for each
tribe
.
"It shall come about when the soles
of the feet
of the priests
who carry
the ark
of the LORD
, the Lord
of all
the earth
, rest
in the waters
of the Jordan
, the waters
of the Jordan
will be cut
off
, and the waters
which are 1flowing
down
from above
2will astand
in one
heap
."
So when the people set
out from their tents
to cross
the Jordan
with the priests
carrying
athe ark
of the covenant
before
the people
,
and when those who carried the ark
came
into the Jordan
, and the feet
of the priests
carrying
the ark
were dipped
in the edge
of the water
(for the aJordan
overflows
all
its banks
all
the days
of harvest
),
athe waters which were 1flowing
down
from above
stood
and rose
up in bone
heap
, a great
distance
away at Adam
, the city
that is beside
Zarethan
; and those which were 1flowing
down
toward
the sea
of the cArabah
, the Salt
Sea
, were completely
cut
off
. So the people
crossed
opposite
Jericho
.
And the priests who carried
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
stood
firm
aon dry
ground
in the middle
of the Jordan
while all
Israel
crossed
on dry
ground
, until
all
the nation
had finished
crossing
the Jordan
.