THE BOOK OF
JOSHUA.

Joshua 3 ©

Joshua with the Israelites, being departed from Shittim, comes to Jordan, v. 1. etc. The officers give direction when and in what manner the people and the priests would march, 2. Joshua comforts and encourages the people, declaring the wonderful work which the Lord would do before their eyes, 9. Drying up Jordan, until the ark and all the people would have passed over it dry-shod, 13.

1

AND Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

2

And it came to pass 1after three days, that the officers went through the host;

3

And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests 2the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way 3heretofore.

5

And Joshua 4said unto the people, 5Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do 6wonders among you.

6

And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7

¶And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify 7thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that,a as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

8

And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

9

¶And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither,b and hear the words of the LORD your God.

10

And Joshua said, 8Hereby ye shall know 9that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the 10Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12

Now therefore 11take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, 12out of every tribe a man.

13

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be 13cut off from the waters that come down from above; andc they shall stand upon an heap.

14

¶And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, andd the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

15

And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, 14(for Jordan overflowethe15all his banks all the time of harvest,)

16

That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city 16Adam, that is beside 17Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the 18salt sea, failed, and 19were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17

And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.