The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Joshua 3

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

Joshua chapter 3 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and…” — the complete text of all 17 verses is below, free to read online.

1And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they passed over.

2And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

3and they commanded the people, saying: 'When ye see the ark of the covenant of HaShem your G-d, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure; come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.'

5And Joshua said unto the people: 'Sanctify yourselves; for to-morrow HaShem will do wonders among you.'

6And Joshua spoke unto the priests, saying: 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on before the people.' And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7And HaShem said unto Joshua: 'This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

8And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying: When ye are come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, ye shall stand still in the Jordan.'

9And Joshua said unto the children of Israel: 'Come hither, and hear the words of HaShem your G-d.'

10And Joshua said: 'Hereby ye shall know that the living G-d is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite.

11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the L-rd of all the earth passeth on before you over the Jordan.

12Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.

13And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of HaShem, the L-rd of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap.'

14And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over the Jordan, the priests that bore the ark of the covenant being before the people;

15and when they that bore the ark were come unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the brink of the water--for the Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest--

16that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17And the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of HaShem stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, while all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over the Jordan.

17 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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