Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Bible Stories

 

Joshua 3:1 And so, Joshua arose in the night, and he moved the camp. And they departed from Shittim, and they went to the Jordan: he, and all the sons of Israel, and they remained there for three days.

Joshua 3:2 After these things unfolded, announcers passed through the midst of the camp,

Joshua 3:3 and they began to proclaim: “When you will see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the stock of Levi carrying it, you also shall rise up and follow those who are going before you.

Joshua 3:4 And let there be, between you and the ark, the space of two thousand cubits, so that you may be able to see it from far away, and to know along which way you should advance. For you have not walked this way before. And be careful that you do not approach the ark.”

Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said to the people: “Be sanctified. For tomorrow the Lord will accomplish miracles among you.”

Joshua 3:6 And he said to the priests: “Take up the ark of the covenant, and go before the people.” And they fulfilled the orders, and they took it and walked before them.

Joshua 3:7 And the Lord said to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that, just as I was with Moses, so also am I with you.

Joshua 3:8 Now instruct the priests, who are carrying the ark of the covenant, and say to them, ‘When you will have entered into a part of the water of the Jordan, stand still in it.’ ”

Joshua 3:9 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Approach to here, and listen to the word of the Lord your God.”

Joshua 3:10 And again, he said: “By this shall you know that the Lord, the living God, is in your midst, and that he shall scatter in your sight, the Canaanite and the Hittite, the Hivite and the Perizzite, likewise the Girgashite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite.

Joshua 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth shall go before you through the Jordan.

Joshua 3:12 Prepare twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

Joshua 3:13 And when the priests who are carrying the ark of the Lord, the God of the entire earth, will have placed the steps of their feet in the waters of the Jordan, the waters that are lower will run down and pass away, and those that are approaching above will stand together in a mass.”

Joshua 3:14 And the people departed from their tents, so that they might cross the Jordan. And the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant were advancing before them.

Joshua 3:15 And as soon as they entered into the Jordan, and their feet were dipped in a portion of the water, (now the Jordan, since it was the time of the harvest, had filled the banks of its channel,)

Joshua 3:16 the descending waters stood still in one place, and, swelling up like a mountain, they were seen from far away, from the city that is called Adam, even as far as the place of Zarethan. But those that were lower ran down into the Sea of the Wilderness, (which is now called the Dead Sea,) until they entirely passed away.

Joshua 3:17 Then the people advanced opposite Jericho. And the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord were standing, fully-dressed, upon dry soil in the midst of the Jordan, and all the people passed over, through the channel that was dried up.

Joshua 4:1 And when they had crossed over, the Lord said to Joshua:

Joshua 4:2 “Choose twelve men, one from each tribe,

Joshua 4:3 and instruct them so that they may take from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood still, twelve very hard stones, which you shall station in the place of the camp, where you will pitch your tents this night.”

Joshua 4:4 And Joshua called twelve men, whom he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,

Joshua 4:5 and he said to them: “Go before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and let each one carry from there one stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the sons of Israel,

Joshua 4:6 so that it may be a sign among you. And when your sons will ask you, tomorrow, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

Joshua 4:7 you shall respond to them: ‘The waters of the Jordan failed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when the ark crossed over it. For this reason, these stones were placed as a monument for the sons of Israel, even forever.’ ”

Joshua 4:8 Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.

Joshua 4:9 Similarly, Joshua positioned another twelve stones in the middle of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant; and they are there, even to the present day.

Joshua 4:10 Now the priests who were carrying the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was accomplished which the Lord had instructed Joshua to speak to the people and which Moses had said to him. And the people hurried, and they passed over.

Joshua 4:11 And when they had all crossed, the ark of the Lord also crossed, and the priests advanced before the people.

Joshua 4:12 Likewise, the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh advanced with weapons before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had instructed them.

Joshua 4:13 And forty thousand fighters, by companies and divisions, advanced through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

Joshua 4:14 In that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they would fear him, just as they had feared Moses while he lived.

Joshua 4:15 And he said to him,

Joshua 4:16 “Command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant to ascend from the Jordan.”

Joshua 4:17 And he commanded them, saying, “Ascend from the Jordan.”

Joshua 4:18 And when those who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord had ascended, and they began to step on dry soil, the waters returned to their channel, and they flowed as they usually did before.

Joshua 4:19 Now the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, opposite the eastern portion of the city of Jericho.

Joshua 4:20 Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.

Joshua 4:21 And he said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons will question their fathers, tomorrow, and they will say to them, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

Joshua 4:22 you shall teach them, and you shall say: ‘Israel passed over this Jordan, through the dry channel.’

Joshua 4:23 For the Lord your God dried up its waters in your sight, until you crossed over,

Joshua 4:24 just as he had done before, at the Red Sea, which he dried up until we crossed over.

Joshua 4:25 So may all the peoples of the earth learn of the very powerful hand of the Lord. So may you also fear the Lord your God for all time.”