New Living Translation

English Standard Version

The Israelites Cross the Jordan

Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grovea and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.

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Israel Crosses the Jordan

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

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Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp,

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At the end of three days the officers went through the camp

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giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them.

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and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

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Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mileb behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”

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Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubitsa in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

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Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you.”

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Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

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In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went ahead of the people.

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And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

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The LORD told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.

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The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

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Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”

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And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

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So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the LORD your God says.

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And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”

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Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.

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And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

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Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River!

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Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earthb is passing over before you into the Jordan.

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Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

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Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.

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The priests will carry the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”

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And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

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So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.

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So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,

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It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,

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and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),

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the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Seac until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

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the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.

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Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

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Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Parallel

New Living Translation

English Standard Version

Joshua 3

Joshua 3