Joshua 3
3
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
1Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove#3:1 Hebrew Shittim. and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile#3:4 Hebrew about 2,000 cubits [920 meters]. behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”
5Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
6In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went ahead of the people.
7The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. 8Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”
9So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. 10Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. 11Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! 12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”
14So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea#3:16 Hebrew the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea. until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.
17Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.
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Joshua 3: NLT
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Joshua 3
3
Israel crosses the River Jordan
1Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the River Jordan and camped there that night. 2Two days later#3.2 Two days later: The Hebrew text has “At the end of three days”, two days after they had set up camp. their leaders went through the camp, 3-4shouting, “When you see some of the priests#3.3,4 the priests: The Hebrew text has “the priests, the Levites”; priests belonged to the tribe of Levi. carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it is time to cross to the other side. You've never been there before, and you won't know the way, unless you follow the chest. But don't get too close! Stay about a kilometre back.”
5Joshua told the people, “Make yourselves acceptable#3.5 Make yourselves acceptable: People had to do certain things to make themselves acceptable to worship the LORD (see Leviticus 7.20,21; 15.2,33; 22.4-8; Deuteronomy 23.10,11). to worship the LORD, because he is going to do some amazing things for us.”
6Then Joshua turned to the priests and said, “Take the chest and cross the River Jordan ahead of us.” So the priests picked up the chest by its carrying poles and went on ahead.
7The LORD told Joshua, “Beginning today I will show the people that you are their leader, and they will know that I am helping you as I helped Moses. 8Now, tell the priests who are carrying the chest to go a little way into the river and stand there.”
9Joshua spoke to the people:
Come here and listen to what the LORD our God said he will do! 10The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites control the land on the other side of the river. But the living God will be with you and will force them out of the land when you attack. And now, God is going to prove that he's powerful enough to force them out. 11-13Just watch the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD, the ruler of the whole earth. As soon as the priests carrying the chest step into the Jordan, the water will stop flowing and pile up as if someone had built a dam across the river.
The LORD has also said that each of the twelve tribes should choose one man to represent it.
14The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front, 15until they came to the River Jordan. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime.#3.15 springtime: Or “harvest time”; the grain harvest was in late spring. But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, 16-17the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed towards the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry river bed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012