Joshua 3:9-17

9Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God!”

10Joshua continued, “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.

11Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you.

12Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe.

13When the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Ruler of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”

14So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

15When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) –

16the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho.

17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.