3:1 Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. 1 They camped there before crossing the river. 2 3:2 After three days the leaders went through the camp 3:3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God 3 being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here 4 and walk 5 behind it. 3:4 But stay about three thousand feet behind it. 6 Keep your distance 7 so you can see 8 which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”
1 tn Heb “And Joshua arose early in the morning and he and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.”
2 tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 sn The ark of the covenant refers to the wooden chest that symbolized God’s presence among his covenant people.
4 tn Heb “set out from your place.”
5 tn Or “march.”
6 tn Heb “But there should be a distance between you and it, about two thousand cubits in measurement.”
7 tn Heb “do not approach it.”
8 tn Heb “know.”