Chapter 3

And Joshua rose early⁵⁵ in the morning; and they removed⁴ from Shittim, and came⁴ to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged⁴ there before they passed over.⁴

And it came to pass after three days, that the officers⁶ went⁴ through the host;

And they commanded¹⁷ the people, saying,² When ye see² the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing⁶ it, then ye shall remove⁴ from your place, and go¹ after it.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near⁴ unto it, that ye may know⁴ the way by which ye must go:⁴ for ye have not passed¹ [this] way heretofore. ⁸⁰³²

And Joshua said⁴ unto the people, Sanctify¹⁰⁰ yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do⁴ wonders¹² among you.

And Joshua spake⁴ unto the priests, saying,² Take up³ the ark of the covenant, and pass over³ before the people. And they took up⁴ the ark of the covenant, and went⁴ before the people.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Joshua, This day will I begin⁵⁵ to magnify¹⁵ thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know⁴ that, as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee.

And thou shalt command¹⁷ the priests that bear⁶ the ark of the covenant, saying,² When ye are come² to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still⁴ in Jordan.

And Joshua said⁴ unto the children of Israel, Come hither,³ and hear³ the words of the LORD your God.

And Joshua said,⁴ Hereby ye shall know⁴ that the living God [is] among you, and [that] he will without fail⁵³ drive out⁵⁵ from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over⁶ before you into Jordan.

Now therefore take³ you twelve ⁶²⁴⁰ men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every ³⁷⁶ tribe a man.

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear⁶ the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest² in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off¹¹ [from] the waters that come down⁶ from above; and they shall stand⁴ upon an heap.

And it came to pass, when the people removed² from their tents, to pass over² Jordan, and the priests bearing⁶ the ark of the covenant before the people;

And as they that bare⁶ the ark were come² unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare⁶ the ark were dipped⁸ in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth¹ all his banks all the time of harvest,)

That the waters which came down⁶ from above stood⁴ [and] rose up¹ upon an heap very far⁵³ from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down⁶ toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed,¹ [and] were cut off:⁸ and the people passed over¹ right against Jericho.

And the priests that bare⁶ the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood⁴ firm⁵³ on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over⁶ on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean¹ over² Jordan.