Crossing the Jordan
1Joshua rose early in the morning, and he and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. 2At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp 3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, with the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to set out from your place and follow it. 4But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and it — do not come near it — so that you may know the way you are to go, since you have never traveled this way before.” 5Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.” 6Then Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. 7Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they know that as I was with Moses, I will be with you. 8You are to command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the water of the Jordan, stand still in the Jordan.’” 9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of Yahweh your God.” 10Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11See — the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is about to cross into the Jordan ahead of you. 12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan flowing down from upstream will be cut off and will stand in a single heap.” 14So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them, 15and when those carrying the ark came to the Jordan and the priests’ feet touched the edge of the water — the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the harvest season — 16the water flowing down from upstream stood still. It rose up in a single heap a great distance away, at Adam, the city beside Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, was completely cut off. And the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
