The Book of Joshua

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim

(a)

with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.

After three days the officers went through the camp

and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits (b) between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”

Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.

Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”

So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.

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

When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.

Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,

the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea (c)) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

Footnotes

(a)3:1 Or Acacia Grove

(b)3:4 2,000 cubits is approximately 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters.

Joshua 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.

After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp;

and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the LORD your God’s covenant, and the Levitical priests bearing it, then leave your place and follow it.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits(a) by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.”

Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

Joshua 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.

The LORD 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.

You 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.’”

Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

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

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord(b) of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.

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

It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, 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.”

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

and 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),

the 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.

The priests who bore the ark of the LORD’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.

Footnotes

(a)3:4 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters, so 2,000 cubits is about 920 meters.

(b)3:11 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”