Joshua 3

vayyashkem yehoshua babboqer vayyisu mehashittim vayyavo'u ad-hayyarden hu vekhol-bene yisra'el vayyalinu sham terem ya'avoru

Early next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and marched to the Jordan. They did not cross immediately, but spent the night there.

vayehi miqtseh sheloshet yamim vayya'avru hashoterim beqerev hammakhaneh

Three days later, the officials went through the camp

vayetsavvu et-ha'am lemor kirotekhem et aron berit-Adonai elohekhem vehakkohanim haleviyyim nose'im oto ve'attem tisu mimmeqomekhem vahalakhtem akharayw

and charged the people as follows: “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the ETERNAL your God being borne by the levitical priests, you shall move forward. Follow it—

akh rakhoq yihyeh benekhem uvenayw ke'alpayim ammah bammiddah al-tiqrevu elayw lema'an asher-tede'u et-hadderekh asher telekhu-vah ki lo avartem badderekh mittemol shilshom

but keep a distance of some two thousand cubits from it, never coming any closer to it—so that you may know by what route to march, since it is a road you have not traveled before.”

vayyomer yehoshua el-ha'am hitqaddashu ki makhar ya'aseh Adonai beqirbekhem nifla'ot

And Joshua said to the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow GOD will perform wonders in your midst.”

vayyomer yehoshua el-hakkohanim lemor se'u et-aron habberit ve'ivru lifne ha'am vayyisu et-aron habberit vayyelekhu lifne ha'am

Then Joshua ordered the priests, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant and advance to the head of the people.” And they took up the Ark of the Covenant and marched at the head of the people.

vayyomer Adonai el-yehoshua hayyom hazzeh akhel gaddelkha be'ene kol-yisra'el asher yede'un ki ka'asher hayiti im-mosheh ehyeh immakh

GOD said to Joshua, “This day, for the first time, I will exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they shall know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.

ve'attah tetsavveh et-hakkohanim nose'e aron-habberit lemor kevo'akhem ad-qetseh me hayyarden bayyarden ta'amodu

For your part, command the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant as follows: When you reach the edge of the waters of the Jordan, make a halt in the Jordan.”

vayyomer yehoshua el-bene yisra'el goshu hennah veshimu et-divre Adonai elohekhem

And Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the ETERNAL your God.

vayyomer yehoshua bezot tede'un ki el khay beqirbekhem vehoresh yorish mippenekhem et-hakkena'ani ve'et-hakhitti ve'et-hakhivvi ve'et-happerizzi ve'et-haggirgashi veha'emori vehayevusi

By this,” Joshua continued, “you shall know that a living God is among you, and that [God] will dispossess for you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:

hinneh aron habberit adon kol-ha'arets over lifnekhem bayyarden

the Ark of the Covenant of the Sovereign of all the earth is advancing before you into the Jordan.

ve'attah qekhu lakhem shene asar ish mishivte yisra'el ish-ekhad ish-ekhad lashavet

Now select twelve individuals from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

vehayah kenoakh kappot ragle hakkohanim nose'e aron Adonai adon kol-ha'arets beme hayyarden me hayyarden yikkaretun hammayim hayyoredim milma'elah veya'amdu ned ekhad

When the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of GOD, the Sovereign of all the earth, come to rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan—the water coming from upstream—will be cut off and will stand in a single heap.”

vayehi binsoa ha'am me'oholehem la'avor et-hayyarden vehakkohanim nose'e ha'aron habberit lifne ha'am

When the people set out from their encampment to cross the Jordan, the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant were at the head of the people.

ukhevo nose'e ha'aron ad-hayyarden veragle hakkohanim nose'e ha'aron nitbelu biqtseh hammayim vehayyarden male al-kol-gedotayw kol yeme qatsir

Now the Jordan keeps flowing over its entire bed throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the bearers of the Ark reached the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the Ark dipped into the water at its edge,

vayya'amdu hammayim hayyoredim milmalah qamu ned-ekhad harkheq me'od (vdm) [me'adam] ha'ir asher mitsad tsaretan vehayyoredim al yam ha'aravah yam-hammelakh tammu nikhratu veha'am averu neged yerikho

the waters coming down from upstream piled up in a single heap a great way off, at Adam, the town next to Zarethan; and those flowing away downstream to the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) ran out completely. So the people crossed near Jericho.

vayya'amdu hakkohanim nose'e ha'aron berit-Adonai bekharavah betokh hayyarden hakhen vekhol-yisra'el overim bekharavah ad asher-tammu kol-haggoy la'avor et-hayyarden

The priests who bore the Ark of GOD’s Covenant stood on dry land exactly in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry land, until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.