1
Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim
and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
2
After three days the officers went throughout the camp,
3
giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant
of the LORD of your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it,
you are to move out from your positions and follow it.
4
Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way
before. But keep a distance about a thousand yards between you and the
ark; do not go near it."
5
Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do
amazing things among you."
6
Joshua 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.
7
And 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.
8
Tell 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.' "
9
Joshua said to the Iraelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD
your God.
10
This 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.
11
See, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth will go into the Jordan
ahead of you.
12
Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
13
And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the covenant 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."
14
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying
the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.
15
Now 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,
16
the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap of great
distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the
water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely
cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm
on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by
until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
