1Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove Or left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing.

2After three days the officers went through the camp Jos 1:11

3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, Dt 17:9,18; 18:1; 31:9; Jos 8:33; 2Ch 23:18; Jr 33:18,21 you must break camp and follow it.

4But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards Lit 2,000 cubits between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.” Lit yesterday and the day before

5Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, Ex 19:10; Nm 11:18; Jos 7:13; 1Sm 16:5; 1Ch 15:12; 2 Ch 29:5; 30:3,17; 35:6 because the Lord will do wonders Ps 72:18; 86:10; 98:1; 106:22; 119:18; Mc 7:15 among you tomorrow.”

6Then he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.

7The Lord spoke to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, Jos 4:14 so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. Dt 31:23; Jos 1:5; Jdg 6:16; 1Kg 11:38; Is 43:2; Jr 1:8; 30:11; 46:28

8Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the waters, Lit waters of the Jordan stand in the Jordan.”

9Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”

10He said: “You will know that the living God is among you Dt 5:26; Jr 10:10; Hs 1:10; 2Co 3:3 and that He will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites Ex 33:2; Dt 7:1

11when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth Ps 97:5; Mc 4:13; Zch 6:5 goes ahead of you into the Jordan.

12Now choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. Jos 4:2

13When the feet Lit soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.” Ex 15:8

14When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant Ac 7:44-45 ahead of the people.

15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. 1Ch 12:15; Jr 12:5; 49:19 But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge

16and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Alt Hb tradition reads mass at Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah Dt 1:1 (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho.

17The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, Ex 14:29 while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.