走過約旦河
1約書亞清早起來，率領全體以色列人離開什亭，來到約旦河邊安營，等候過河。 2過了三天，官長走遍各營，吩咐民眾說： 3「你們看見做祭司的利未人抬著你們上帝耶和華的約櫃出發時，就要起身跟在後面。 4這樣，你們就會知道路，因為你們從來沒有走過這條路。但你們要跟約櫃保持九百米的距離，不要走近約櫃。」 5約書亞又對民眾說：「你們要潔淨自己，因為明天耶和華要在你們當中行奇事。」 6約書亞又對祭司說：「抬起約櫃，率領民眾過河吧！」他們就抬起約櫃，走在民眾前面。
7耶和華對約書亞說：「從今天開始，我要使你在以色列人面前得到尊榮，讓他們知道我與你同在，正如從前我跟摩西同在一樣。 8你要吩咐抬約櫃的祭司走到約旦河邊，站在水中。」 9約書亞對以色列人說：「你們要來聽你們的上帝耶和華的話。 10今天你們會明白永活的上帝就在你們當中，祂必在你們面前趕走迦南人、赫人、希未人、比利洗人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人和耶布斯人。 11看啊，天下之主的約櫃要在你們前面過約旦河。 12現在，你們要從以色列的十二支派中選出十二個人來，每支派選一人。 13當祭司抬著天下之主——耶和華的約櫃一踏進約旦河，往下流的河水必會止住，形成一道水堤。」
14-15那時是收割的季節，河水高漲，淹沒兩岸。民眾拔營準備過河的時候，抬約櫃的祭司走在前頭，當他們的腳剛一踏進河水， 16往下流的水立即止住了，在很遠的撒拉但附近的亞當城那裡漲成一道水牆。流入亞拉巴海，即鹽海的水被完全截斷了，民眾便走到對面的耶利哥。 17以色列人過河的時候，抬耶和華約櫃的祭司站立在河中間的乾地上，直到所有人都從乾地上過了約旦河。
Crossing the Jordan
1Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits3:4 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
6Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ ”
9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
