Joshua 3

1. And Joshua rose early in the morning. And they moved from Shittim and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

2. And it came to pass after three days the officers went through the host.

3. And they commanded the people saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place and go after it.

4. Yet keep a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it so that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before now.”

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

6. And Joshua spoke to the priests saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people.” And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

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

8. And you shall command the priests that carry the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the brink of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in Jordan.’ ”

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

10. And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.

11. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passes over before you into Jordan.

12. And now take yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13 And it shall be, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above. And they shall stand all in a heap.”

14. And it came to pass, when the people moved from their tents to pass over Jordan, and as the priests carried the ark of the covenant before the people,

15. And as those who bore the ark had come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest);

16. That the waters which came down from above stopped and rose up all in a heap, very far from the city Adam that is beside Zaretan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over across from Jericho.

17. And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of Jordan. And all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the people had passed completely over Jordan.