1 De manhã bem cedo Josué e todos os israelitas partiram de Sitim e foram para o Jordão, onde acamparam antes de atravessar o rio.
2 Três dias depois, os oficiais percorreram o acampamento,
3 e deram esta ordem ao povo: "Quando virem a arca da aliança do Senhor, o seu Deus, e os sacerdotes levitas carregando a arca, saiam das suas posições e sigam-na.
4 Mas mantenham a distância de cerca de novecentos metros entre vocês e a arca; não se aproximem! Desse modo saberão que caminho seguir, pois vocês nunca passaram por lá".
5 Josué ordenou ao povo: "Santifiquem-se, pois amanhã o Senhor fará maravilhas entre vocês".
6 E disse aos sacerdotes: "Levantem a arca da aliança e passem à frente do povo". Eles a levantaram e foram na frente.
7 E o Senhor disse a Josué: "Hoje começarei a exaltá-lo à vista de todo o Israel, para que saibam que estarei com você como estive com Moisés.
8 Portanto, você é quem dará a seguinte ordem aos sacerdotes que carregam a arca da aliança: ‘Quando chegarem às margens das águas do Jordão, parem junto ao rio’ ".
9 Então Josué disse aos israelitas: "Venham ouvir as palavras do Senhor, o seu Deus.
10 Assim saberão que o Deus vivo está no meio de vocês e que certamente expulsará de diante de vocês os cananeus, os hititas, os heveus, os ferezeus, os girgaseus, os amorreus e os jebuseus.
11 Vejam, a arca da aliança do Soberano de toda a terra atravessará o Jordão à frente de vocês.
12 Agora, escolham doze israelitas, um de cada tribo.
13 Quando os sacerdotes que carregam a arca do Senhor, o Soberano de toda a terra, puserem os pés no Jordão, a correnteza será represada e as águas formarão uma muralha".
14 Quando, pois, o povo desmontou o acampamento para atravessar o Jordão, os sacerdotes que carregavam a arca da aliança foram adiante.
15 ( O Jordão transborda em ambas as margens na época da colheita. ) Assim que os sacerdotes que carregavam a arca da aliança chegaram ao Jordão e seus pés tocaram as águas,
16 a correnteza que descia parou de correr e formou uma muralha a grande distância, perto de uma cidade chamada Adã, nas proximidades de Zaretã; e as águas que desciam para o mar da Arabá, o mar Salgado, escoaram totalmente. E assim o povo atravessou o rio em frente de Jericó.
17 Os sacerdotes que carregavam a arca da aliança do Senhor ficaram parados em terra seca no meio do Jordão, enquanto todo o Israel passava, até que toda a nação o atravessou também em terra seca.
1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
3 And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall set out from your place, and go after it.
4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that you may know the way by which you must go: for you have not passed this way before.
5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
6 And Joshua spoke unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8 And you shall command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When you are come to the edge of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.
9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
10 And Joshua said, By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.
12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in a heap.
14 And it came to pass, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bore the ark were come unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water, (for Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far at the city Adam, that is beside Zarethan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right opposite Jericho.
17 And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed completely over Jordan.