Joshua 3:1-17 NIV
Crossing the Jordan
1Early
in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to
the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2After
three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3giving
orders to the people: “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of The Lord your GOD, and the Levitical priests
carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4Then
you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But
keep a distance of about two thousand cubitsa between you and the Ark; do not go near
it.”
5Joshua
told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow The Lord Will Do Amazing Things among you.”
6Joshua
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.
7And The Lord Said to Joshua, “Today I Will Begin To Exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I AM With you As I WAS With Moses. 8Tell
the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the
Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ ”
9Joshua
said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the WORDS of The Lord your GOD. 10This is
how you will know that The Living GOD Is Among you and that HE Will Certainly Drive Out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites,
Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11See,
the Ark of the Covenant of The Lord of all the earth Will Go Into the Jordan Ahead of you. 12Now
then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13And as
soon as the priests who carry the Ark of The Lord—The Lord of
all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut
off and stand up in a heap.”
14So when
the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the Ark of the
Covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the
Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who
carried the Ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant of The Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant of The Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua moved from
Shittim to Jordan, where he stayed three days, Joshua 3:1; the people are directed to move when they
saw the Ark carried by the priests, and what distance they should keep from
it, Joshua
3:3; are bid to sanctify
themselves against the morrow, when wonders would be wrought, Joshua 3:5; and the priests are ordered to take up the Ark, Joshua 3:6; Joshua is encouraged by The Lord, and
instructed to command the priests when they come to Jordan to stand still in
it, Joshua
3:7; and he declares to
all the people, as a token that GOD Would Drive the Canaanites from before
them, that as soon as the feet of the priests bearing the Ark should rest in
the waters of Jordan, they should be cut off, and make way for them to pass
through, Joshua
3:9; so that all the
Israelites passed over on dry ground, Joshua 3:14.
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