1De manhã bem cedo Josué e todos os israelitas partiram de Sitim e foram para o Jordão, onde acamparam antes de atravessar o rio.2Três dias depois, os oficiais percorreram o acampamento3e deram esta ordem ao povo: “Quando virem a arca da aliança do SENHOR, o seu Deus, e os sacerdotes levitas[1] carregando a arca, saiam das suas posições e sigam-na.4Mas mantenham a distância de cerca de novecentos metros[2] entre vocês e a arca; não se aproximem! Desse modo saberão que caminho seguir, pois vocês nunca passaram por lá”.5Josué ordenou ao povo: “Santifiquem-se, pois amanhã o SENHOR fará maravilhas entre vocês”.6E disse aos sacerdotes: “Levantem a arca da aliança e passem à frente do povo”. Eles a levantaram e foram na frente.7E 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.8Portanto, 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”.9Então Josué disse aos israelitas: “Venham ouvir as palavras do SENHOR, o seu Deus.10Assim 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.11Vejam, a arca da aliança do Soberano de toda a terra atravessará o Jordão à frente de vocês.12Agora, escolham doze israelitas, um de cada tribo.13Quando 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”.14Quando, 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,16a 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[3], escoaram totalmente. E assim o povo atravessou o rio em frente de Jericó.17Os 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 pisando em terra seca.
1Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. (Js 2:1)2At the end of three days the officers went through the camp (Js 1:10)3and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. (Dt 31:9; Dt 31:25; Js 3:8)4Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits[1] in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” (Ex 19:12)5Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Ex 19:10; Ex 19:14; Lv 20:7; Nm 11:18; Js 7:13; 1 Sm 16:5; Jl 2:16)6And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. (Nm 4:15)7The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. (Js 1:5; Js 4:14; 1 Cr 29:25; 2 Cr 1:1)8And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” (Js 3:3; Js 3:17)9And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”10And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. (Ex 13:5; Ex 33:2; Dt 5:26; Dt 7:1; 1 Sm 17:26; Sl 44:2)11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth[2] is passing over before you into the Jordan. (Dt 9:3; Mq 4:13; Zc 4:14; Zc 6:5)12Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. (Nm 13:2; Js 4:2; Js 4:4)13And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” (Ex 15:8; Js 3:11; Js 3:15; Sl 78:13; Sl 114:3)14So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, (At 7:44)15and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), (Js 3:13; Js 4:18; Js 5:10; Js 5:12; 1 Cr 12:15; Jr 12:5; Jr 49:19; Jr 50:44)16the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. (Gn 14:3; Nm 34:3; Dt 1:1; 1 Rs 4:12; 1 Rs 7:46)17Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. (Ex 14:29; Js 4:22)