Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 3, verse 1. Then Joshua rose early in the morning and departed from Acacia Grove; and he came to the Jordan and lodged there before crossing over. Joshua 3, verse 2. After three days, it came to pass that the scribes went through the camp Joshua 3, verse 3. and commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God, and our priests and Levites who carry it, then you shall depart from your places; and you shall go after it; Joshua 3, verse 4. but there shall be a distance between you and it. You shall stand as much as two thousand cubits from it, and do not come near it, that you may understand the way you are to go; for you have not gone this way before.” Joshua 3, verse 5. Joshua then said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3, verse 6. Joshua also said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and go before the people.” So the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and went before the people. Joshua 3, verse 7. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I shall begin to exalt you in the sight of all the children of Israel, so they will know that I shall be with you as I was with Moses. Joshua 3, verse 8. Therefore now, command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘As soon as you enter a part of the water of the Jordan, then you shall stand in the Jordan.’” Joshua 3, verse 9. Joshua then said to the children of Israel, “Come here and hear the word of the Lord our God. Joshua 3, verse 10. Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you and will utterly destroy before our face the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Joshua 3, verse 11. Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing the Jordan. Joshua 3, verse 12. Choose for yourselves twelve men from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe. Joshua 3, verse 13. Then it shall come to pass that when the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth rest in the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan will cease to flow, for the upstream water will stand still.” Joshua 3, verse 14. So the people left their tents to cross over the Jordan, and the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord before the people. Joshua 3, verse 15. Now when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord dipped in part of the water of the Jordan (now the Jordan overflowed all its banks about the time of wheat harvest), Joshua 3, verse 16. then the upstream waters stopped flowing downstream, and a solid wall of water formed over a very great distance, as far as the region of Adam. The lower part came down to the Sea of Araba, the Salt Sea, until it came to a complete stop; and the people stood opposite Jericho. Joshua 3, verse 17. So the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all the children of Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the people crossed the Jordan.