| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing the river. | 1Joshua got up early the next morning. Accompanied by all the Israelis, he set out from the Acacia groves and arrived at the Jordan River, where they encamped before crossing it. |
| 2After three days the leaders went through the camp | 2Three days later, the officers went throughout the camp, |
| 3and commanded the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here and walk behind it. | 3giving orders to the people. They said, "When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then get up, leave where you are, and follow it. |
| 4But stay about three thousand feet behind it. Keep your distance so you can see which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before." | 4Be sure to keep a distance of about 2,000 cubits between you and it. Don't come near it, so you can be certain where you're going, since you haven't passed this way before." |
| 5Joshua told the people, "Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will perform miraculous deeds among you." | 5Then Joshua addressed the people: "Consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow the LORD will do marvelous things among you." |
| 6Joshua told the priests, "Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. | 6After this, Joshua instructed the priests, "Take up the Ark of the Covenant and cross over ahead of the people." So they took up the Ark of the Covenant and went on ahead of the people. |
| 7The LORD told Joshua, "This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. | 7At this point, the LORD told Joshua, "Today I'm going to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they'll be sure that I'm going to be with you just as I was with Moses. |
| 8Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, 'When you reach the bank of the Jordan River, wade into the water.'" | 8Give this command to the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you arrive at the water of the Jordan River, stand still in the Jordan.'" |
| 9Joshua told the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God!" | 9So Joshua told the Israelis, "Come here and listen to what the LORD your God has to say." |
| 10Joshua continued, "This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. | 10Joshua continued, "This is how you'll know that the living God really is among you: he's going to remove the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites right in front of you. |
| 11Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. | 11Look! The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of whole the earth is crossing ahead of you into the Jordan River. |
| 12Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. | 12So take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. |
| 13When the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Ruler of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up." | 13When the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water in the Jordan River, the water that feeds the Jordan will be cut off from above and they'll stand still in a single location." |
| 14So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. | 14So the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan River, with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant in full view of the people. |
| 15When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water--(the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)-- | 15When the priests who carried the ark entered the Jordan River, as their feet touched the water's edge (The Jordan River overflows all of its banks daily during the harvest season.), |
| 16the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. | 16the water flowing downstream from above stood still in a single location, a great distance away at Adam, a city near Zarethan. The water that flowed south toward the sea in the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. |
| 17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side. | 17The priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan River. |
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