Joshua 3

1Early in the morning Joshua got up, and he and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They spent the night there before they crossed over.

2At the end of three days the officers went through the camp

3and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you are to set out from your place and follow it.

4But keep a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way you are to go, for you have not passed this way before.”

5Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.”

6Joshua said to the priests, “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.

7Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

8As for you, command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters of the Jordan, stand still in the Jordan.’”

9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of Yahweh your God.”

10Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11Look, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.

12Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe.

13When the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off—the waters flowing down from upstream—and they will stand up in a single heap.”

14So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of the people,

15and as soon as those carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark dipped into the edge of the water—now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the harvest season—

16the water flowing down from upstream stood still. It rose up in a single heap a great distance away, at Adam, the city beside Zarethan, while the water flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.