1 J oshua got up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They camped there before they crossed over.

Joshua got up early in the morning. He and all the people of Israel left Shittim and came to the Jordan. And they stayed there before they crossed.

2 A fter three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp;

After three days the leaders went among the tents.

3 a nd they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then leave your place, and follow it.

They told the people, “When you see the special box of the agreement of the Lord your God with the religious leaders carrying it, leave your places and follow it.

4 Y et there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Don’t come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.”

Then you may know the way to go, for you have not passed this way before. But stay about 1, 000 long steps away from it. Do not come near it.”

5 J oshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.”

Then Joshua said to the people, “Make yourselves holy. For tomorrow the Lord will do powerful works among you.”

6 J oshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and cross over before the people.” They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

Joshua said to the religious leaders, “Take up the special box of the agreement and cross over in front of the people.” So they took up the special box of the agreement and went in front of the people.

7 Y ahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to give you honor in the eyes of all Israel. Then they may know that I will be with you just as I have been with Moses.

8 Y ou shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

Tell the religious leaders who are carrying the special box of the agreement, ‘When you come to the water of the Jordan River, stand still in it.’”

9 J oshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”

Then Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here. Listen to the words of the Lord your God.”

10 J oshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.

And Joshua said, “You will know that the living God is among you because He will be sure to drive away from in front of you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite and the Jebusite.

11 B ehold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.

See, the special box of the agreement of the Lord of All the earth is crossing over in front of you in the Jordan.

12 N ow therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.

Now choose twelve men from the families of Israel, one man for each family.

13 I t shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one heap.”

The religious leaders who carry the special box of the agreement of the Lord of All the earth, will rest their feet in the water of the Jordan. Then the water of the Jordan will be cut off. The water flowing down from above will gather together in one place.”

14 W hen the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people,

So the people left their tents to cross the Jordan. The religious leaders carried the special box of the agreement in front of the people.

15 a nd when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),

They carried it to the Jordan and put their feet in the water. (For the Jordan water floods during the time of gathering grain.)

16 t he waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho.

Then the water flowing down from above stood and rose up in one place far away at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, was all cut off. So the people crossed beside Jericho.

17 T he priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.

The religious leaders who carried the special box of the agreement of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. And all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had crossed the Jordan.