Joshua 3

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Early in the morning, Joshua struck camp and set out from Shittim with al the Israelites. They went asfar as the Jordan and there they camped before they crossed.	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 Three days later, the officials went through the camp	2 After these things unfolded, announcers passed through the midst of the camp,
3 and gave the people these instructions, 'When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your Godbeing carried by the levitical priests, you wil leave your position and fol ow it,so that you may know which way totake, since you have never gone this way before.	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 Between you and the ark, however, keep a distance of about two thousand cubits: do not go near it.'	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 Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, since tomorrow Yahweh wil work wonders among you.'	5 And Joshua said to the people: “Be sanctified. For tomorrow the Lord will accomplish miracles among you.”
6 Joshua then said to the priests, 'Take up the ark of the covenant and cross at the head of the people.'They took up the ark of the covenant and moved to the head of the people.	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 Yahweh said to Joshua, 'This very day, I shal begin to make you great in the eyes of al Israel so thatthey will know that, as I was with Moses, so I shal be with you.	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 Now, give this order to the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, "When you have reached the brinkof the waters of the Jordan, you must halt in the Jordan itself." '	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 To the Israelites, Joshua then said, 'Come closer and hear the words of Yahweh your God.'	9 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Approach to here, and listen to the word of the Lord your God.”
10 Joshua said, 'By this, you are to know that the living God is with you and without a doubt wil expel theCanaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites before you.	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 Look, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth is about to move into the Jordan at yourhead.	11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth shall go before you through the Jordan.
12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe.	12 Prepare twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
13 As soon as the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of the whole earth, have set the soles of theirfeet in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan wil be cut off; the upper waters flowing down wil stopas a single mass.'	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 Accordingly, when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of thecovenant ahead of the people.	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 As soon as the bearers of the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the arktouched the waters -- the Jordan is in spate throughout the harvest season-	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 the upper waters stood stil and formed a single mass over a great distance, at Adam, the town nearZarethan, while those flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely separated. Thepeople crossed opposite Jericho.	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 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firm on dry ground in mid-Jordan, whileal Israel crossed on dry ground, until the whole nation had completed its crossing of the Jordan.	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.