CHAPTER 3

1 And Joshua rose up very early in the morning, and he and all the children of Israel set out from Sittim, and came as far as the Jordan, and passed the night there before crossing.

2 And it was at the end of three days, and the prefects passed through the midst of the camp,

3 And commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests bearing it, you shall set out from your place, and go after it.

4 Nevertheless, between it and you there will be an interval of about two thousand cubits in length: do not approach it that you may know the way by which you are to go. For you have not passed by that way yesterday or the day before yesterday.

5 Now Joshua had said to the people, Sanctify (or Prepare) yourselves: for to-morrow Jehovah will do wonders in the midst of you.

6 And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass before the people. They accordingly bare the ark of the covenant, and walked before the people.

7 Now Jehovah had said to Joshua, To-day will I begin to magnify thee in the eyes of all Israel, that they may know that in the same way as I was with Moses will I be with thee.

8 Thou, therefore, wilt command the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, saying, When you shall have gone in as far as the extremity (outer edge) of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.

9 And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of Jehovah your God.

10 Joshua likewise said, Hereby shall you know that there is a living God in the midst of you, and that he will thoroughly drive out before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite.

11 Behold the ark of the covenant of the ruler of the whole earth will pass before you through the Jordan.

12 Now, therefore, select for you twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one for each tribe.

13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of Jehovah, the ruler of the whole earth, shall have rested in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters flowing from above shall stand in one heap.

14 And it was that when the people set out to cross the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant were before the people.

15 And after those who bare the ark came even to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the extremity of the waters, (now the Jordan was full beyond all its banks the whole time of harvest,)

16 The waters which descended from above stood, and rose up into one heap very far, from the city Adam which is at the side of Sarthan, and those which descended to the sea of the desert, the sea of salt, were consumed, were cut off: and the people crossed over against Jericho.

17 And the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood unencumbered (or prepared) on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed through dry ground, until the whole people made an end of passing the Jordan.