1And Joshua rose early the next morning; and they moved from Shittim (Acacia), and came to the Jordan, with all the children of Israel, and camped there before crossing over.
2And after three days, the officers went through the camp;
3And they ordered the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it.
4But there shall be a space, about two thousand cubits (three thousand feet), between you and it; do not come near to it, so that you know the way you must go; for you have not passed this way before”.
5And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do great things among you”.
6And Joshua spoke to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and cross over ahead of the people”. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day 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.
8And you shall command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, saying, “When you have come to the brink of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”
9And Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God”.
10And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will, without fail, drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth crosses over before you into the Jordan.
12Now you shall take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, a man from every tribe.
13And as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from the waters upstream, and the water shall pile up in a heap”.
14And when the people moved from their tents, to pass over the Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15And as they who bore the ark had come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the brim of the water, (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
16That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in one heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zarethan; and those that came down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over right opposite Jericho.
17And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, and all the Israelites crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had passed completely over the Jordan. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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