Joshua 3
3
Israel Crossing the Jordan
1#Jos 2:1In the morning Joshua got up early; then he and all the children of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They stayed there before crossing over. 2#Jos 1:10–11After three days the officers went through the camp. 3#Dt 31:9; Nu 10:33They commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall set out from where you are and go behind it. 4#Ex 19:12There must be a distance of two thousand cubits#About 3,000 feet, or 900 meters. between you and it. Do not draw closer to it, in order that you may know the way you should go. For you have not passed this way before.”
5#Jos 7:13; Lev 20:7Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform wondrous deeds among you.”
6Joshua said to the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and proceed ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people.
7#Jos 4:14; 1:5The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to honor you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8#Jos 3:3; 3:17You shall command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the bank of the Jordan, stand still in the river.’ ”
9So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.” 10#Ex 33:2; Dt 5:26And Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will thoroughly drive out the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites from before you. 11#Zec 6:5; Jos 3:13See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing before you into the Jordan. 12#Jos 4:2Now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man per tribe. 13#Ex 15:8; Ps 78:13When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan that flows from upstream will be cut off and pile up.”
14#Ac 7:44–45When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests were carrying the ark of the covenant before the people. 15#1Ch 12:15; Jos 4:18When the carriers of the ark came to the Jordan, the feet of the priests carrying the ark dipped into the edge of the water. (Now the Jordan overflows its banks all the days of the harvest.) 16#Ge 14:3; Jos 3:13Then the water that flows down from upstream stood still and rose up in a heap very far away at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The water that flows down toward the Sea of Arabah (the Dead Sea) stopped and was cut off. The people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17#Ex 14:29; 14:22The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, and all Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire people completed crossing over the Jordan.
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Joshua 3: MEV
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Military Bible Association
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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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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