Josué 3

EL LIBRO DEL PUEBLO DE DIOS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 A la madrugada del día siguiente, Josué y todos los israelitas partieron de Sitím. Cuando llegaron al Jordán, se dispusieron a pasar la noche allí antes de cruzar.	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.
2 Al cabo de tres días, los escribas recorrieron el campamento	2 After these things unfolded, announcers passed through the midst of the camp,
3 dando esta orden al pueblo: «Cuando vean el Arca de la Alianza del Señor, su Dios, y a los sacerdotes levitas que la transportan, muévanse del lugar donde están y síganla.	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.
4 Pero dejen entre ustedes y el Arca una distancia de mil metros aproximadamente, y no se acerquen a ella. Así sabrán por dónde tienen que ir, porque ustedes nunca pasaron por este camino».	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.”
5 Josué dijo al pueblo: «Purifíquense, porque mañana el Señor va a obrar maravillas en medio de ustedes».	5 And Joshua said to the people: “Be sanctified. For tomorrow the Lord will accomplish miracles among you.”
6 Después dijo a los sacerdotes: «Levanten el Arca de la Alianza y pónganse al frente del pueblo». Ellos la levantaron y avanzaron al frente del pueblo.	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.
7 Entonces el Señor dijo a Josué: «Hoy empezaré a engrandecerme a los ojos de todo Israel, para que sepan que yo estoy contigo como estuve con Moisés.	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.
8 Ahora ordena a los sacerdotes que llevan el Arca de la Alianza: «Cuando lleguen al borde del Jordán, deténganse junto al río».	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.’ ”
9 Josué dijo a los israelitas: «Acérquense y escuchen las palabras del Señor, su Dios».	9 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Approach to here, and listen to the word of the Lord your God.”
10 Y añadió: «En esto conocerán que el Dios viviente está entre ustedes, y que él expulsará delante de ustedes a los cananeos, los hititas, los jivitas, los perizitas, los guirgazitas, los amorreos y los jebuseos:	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.
11 el Arca de la Alianza del Señor de toda la tierra va a cruzar el Jordán delante de ustedes.	11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth shall go before you through the Jordan.
12 Ahora elijan a doce hombres entre las tribus de Israel, uno por cada tribu.	12 Prepare twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
13 Y apenas los sacerdotes que llevan el Arca del Señor de toda la tierra apoyen sus pies sobre las aguas del Jordán, estas se abrirán, y las aguas que vienen de arriba se detendrán como contenidas por un dique».	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.”
14 Cuando el pueblo levantó sus carpas para cruzar el Jordán, los sacerdotes que llevaban el Arca de la Alianza iban al frente de él.	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.
15 Apenas llegaron al Jordán y sus pies tocaron el borde de las aguas –el Jordán se desborda por sus dos orillas durante todo el tiempo de la cosecha–	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,)
16 las aguas detuvieron su curso: las que venían de arriba se amontonaron a una gran distancia, cerca de Adam, la ciudad que está junto a Sartán; y las que bajaban hacia el mar de la Arabá –el mar de la Sal – quedaron completamente cortadas. Así el pueblo cruzó a la altura de Jericó.	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.
17 Los sacerdotes que llevaban el Arca de la Alianza del Señor permanecían inmóviles en medio del Jordán, sobre el suelo seco, mientras todo Israel iba pasando por el cauce seco, hasta que todo el pueblo terminó de cruzar el Jordán.	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.