Joshua 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Joshua got up early the next morning, and he and all the Israelites left Shittim and traveled to the Jordan River. They camped there before crossing.

After three days, the officers went through the camp,

and gave these orders to the people: "When you see the chest of the covenant of Yahweh your God being carried by the Levitical priests, break camp and follow it.

But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and it — don't get close to it. That way you'll know which way to go, since you've never traveled this road before."

Joshua told the people, "Set yourselves apart, because tomorrow Yahweh is going to do incredible things among you."

Then Joshua said to the priests, "Pick up the chest of the covenant and walk ahead of the people." So they picked it up and walked ahead of them.

Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I'm going to begin making you great in the eyes of all Israel, so they'll know that I'm with you the same way I was with Moses.

You are to command the priests carrying the chest of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go stand in the Jordan.'"

Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of Yahweh your God."

Then Joshua said, "This is how you'll know that the living God is among you and that he will absolutely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you:

Look — the chest of the covenant of the Master of the whole earth is about to cross the Jordan ahead of you.

Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

And as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the chest of Yahweh — the Master of the whole earth — touch the water of the Jordan, the water flowing downstream will be cut off and will stand up in a single mass."

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the chest of the covenant went ahead of them.

Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the chest reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge,

the water flowing downstream stopped. It rose up in a single mass far upstream at a town called Adam, near Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Dead Sea was completely cut off. And the people crossed over near Jericho.

The priests carrying the chest of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.