Joshua 3
Open in the reader1Early the next morning He-Who-Is-Saves got up and left Acacia-Grove with all the children of Strives-with-God. They went as far as the Descender, where they camped before crossing over.
2After three days the officers went through the camp
3and commanded the people: “When you see the Chest of the covenant of He-Who-Is your God being carried by the Joined-One priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
4But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
5Then He-Who-Is-Saves told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow He-Who-Is will do wonders among you.”
6And he said to the priests, “Take the Chest of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the Chest of the covenant and went ahead of them.
7Now He-Who-Is said to He-Who-Is-Saves, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Strives-with-God, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Drawn-Out.
8Command the priests carrying the Chest of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Descender.’”
9So He-Who-Is-Saves told the children of Strives-with-God, “Come here and listen to the words of He-Who-Is your God.”
10He-Who-Is-Saves continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He-Who-Is-Saves will surely drive out before you the Humbled-Ones, Son-of-Terrors, Tent-Villagers, Open-Country-Dwellers, Girgashites, Mountaineers, and Trodden-Ones.
11Behold, the Chest of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Descender.
12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Strives-with-God, one from each tribe.
13When the feet of the priests who carry the Chest of He-Who-Is—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Descender, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Descender, the priests carried the Chest of the covenant ahead of them.
15Now the Descender overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the Chest reached the Descender and their feet touched the water’s edge,
16the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Ground, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Moon.
17The priests carrying the Chest of the covenant of He-Who-Is stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Descender, while all Strives-with-God crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Descender.