Joshua 3

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.

Joshua woke up at dawn, leading all the Israelites from Shittim to Jordan. They camped there, preparing to cross over.

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

After three days, the officers moved among the gathered crowd.

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

They instructed everyone, "When you spot the sacred chest, God's promise, carried by the priests, leave your spots and follow it with reverence."

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 heretofore.

Keep a distance, about two thousand cubits, from it. Don't approach it, so you can clearly see the path you need to follow, because this is uncharted territory for you.

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

Joshua urged the people, "Prepare your hearts, for tomorrow, God will perform miracles in your midst."

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.

Joshua instructed the priests with a firm voice, "Carry the sacred ark and lead the way for our people." Without hesitation, they lifted the holy ark and bravely guided the crowd.

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

The LORD assured Joshua, "Today, I'll start to elevate your status before all of Israel. Just as I stood by Moses, I'll stand by you too."

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.

Instruct the priests carrying the sacred ark, tell them, when they reach the edge of the Jordan River, they must pause, standing firm within its waters.

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

Joshua passionately urged the people of Israel, "Gather around! Listen closely to the divine message from our God."

And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that 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.

Joshua confidently declared, "You'll see, God is truly with us. He will surely remove all obstacles and enemies, including the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites, from our path."

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

Witness, the sacred chest symbolizing God's promises, the Master of the entire world, is moving ahead of you into Jordan.

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

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

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 cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

When the priests carrying God's sacred ark, the ark of the Lord of all the earth, step into the Jordan River, the water flowing down from upstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.

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

As the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, their hearts filled with anticipation. The priests, carrying the sacred ark of the covenant, led the way, their solemn duty a beacon for all to follow.

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, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

As those carrying the sacred ark reached the Jordan River, the priests' feet just touched the water's edge. The river was overflowing, as it always did during harvest season.

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

The waters flowing down from upstream stopped, piling up in a towering heap far away at the city of Adam, near Zaretan. The streams that flowed towards the plain's sea, the salty sea, ceased and were cut off. Meanwhile, the people crossed over, directly opposite Jericho.

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.

The priests, carrying the Lord's sacred ark, stood strong on dry land in the heart of Jordan. All the Israelites crossed safely on this dry path, until every last person had crossed the Jordan.