Joshua 3:7-13

3:7 The Lord told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel ¹  so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 3:8 Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River, ²  wade into the water.’” ³ 

3:9 Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God!” 3:10 Joshua continued, ⁴  “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. 3:11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler ⁵  of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. 3:12 Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. 3:13 When the feet ⁶  of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Ruler ⁷  of the whole earth, touch ⁸  the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.” ⁹ 

[3:7]  ¹ tn Or more literally, “to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel.”

[3:8]  ² tn Heb “the edge of the waters of the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.

[3:8]  ³ tn Heb “stand in the Jordan.” Here the repetition of the word “Jordan” would be redundant according to contemporary English style, so it was not included in the translation.

[3:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[3:11]  ⁵ tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.”

[3:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “the soles of the feet.”

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.”

[3:13]  ⁸ tn Or “rest in.”

[3:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “the waters of the Jordan, the waters descending from above, will be cut off so that they will stand in one pile.”