1Da machte sich Josua früh auf, und sie zogen aus Sittim und kamen an den Jordan, er und alle Kinder Israels; und sie rasteten dort, ehe sie hinüberzogen. (1Mo 22,3; 1Mo 28,18; Jos 2,1; Jos 6,12; Jos 6,15; Jos 7,16; Jos 8,10; 1Sam 17,20; Spr 31,15)2Nach drei Tagen aber gingen die Vorsteher durch das Lager (Jos 1,10)3und geboten dem Volk und sprachen: Wenn ihr die Bundeslade des HERRN, eures Gottes, sehen werdet und die Priester, die Leviten, die sie tragen, so brecht auf von eurem Ort und folgt ihr nach! (4Mo 10,35; 5Mo 31,9; 2Chr 5,7)4Doch soll zwischen euch und ihr etwa 2 000 Ellen[1] Abstand sein. Kommt ihr nicht zu nahe, damit ihr den Weg erkennt, den ihr gehen sollt; denn ihr seid den Weg zuvor nicht gegangen! (Ps 25,12; Ps 32,8; Ps 139,24; Jes 48,17; Joh 10,4)5Und Josua sprach zum Volk: Heiligt euch, denn morgen wird der HERR unter euch Wunder tun! (2Mo 3,20; 2Mo 19,10; 3Mo 20,7; 4Mo 11,18; 5Mo 7,19; Jos 7,13; 1Sam 16,5; Ps 77,15; Ps 96,3; 2Kor 7,1; 1Thess 4,3)6Und zu den Priestern sprach Josua: Tragt die Bundeslade und zieht vor dem Volk hinüber! Da trugen sie die Bundeslade und gingen vor dem Volk her. (4Mo 4,15; 1Chr 15,15)7Und der HERR sprach zu Josua: Heute will ich anfangen, dich vor ganz Israel groß zu machen, damit sie wissen, dass ich mit dir sein werde, wie ich mit Mose gewesen bin. (Jos 1,5; Jos 1,17; Jos 4,14; 1Sam 3,20; 1Chr 29,25)8Du aber gebiete den Priestern, welche die Bundeslade tragen, und sprich: Wenn ihr bis an das Wasser des Jordan kommt, so bleibt im Jordan stehen! (2Mo 14,13; Jos 3,3; Jos 3,17; 1Chr 15,11; Neh 12,24; Kla 3,26)9Und Josua sprach zu den Kindern Israels[2]: Kommt herzu und hört die Worte des HERRN, eures Gottes! (5Mo 4,1; 5Mo 12,28)10Und Josua sprach: Daran sollt ihr erkennen, dass der lebendige Gott in eurer Mitte ist und dass er die Kanaaniter, Hetiter, Hewiter, Pheresiter, Girgasiter, Amoriter und Jebusiter gewiss vor euch vertreiben wird: (2Mo 33,2; 5Mo 5,26; 5Mo 7,1; 5Mo 31,17; 2Kön 19,4; Ps 44,3; Ps 46,6; Ps 80,9; Jer 10,10; 1Thess 1,9)11Siehe, die Bundeslade des Herrn der ganzen Erde wird vor euch her über den Jordan gehen. (1Chr 29,11; Ps 83,18; Jes 54,5; Dan 4,31; Sach 4,14)12So nehmt nun aus den Stämmen Israels zwölf Männer, aus jedem Stamm einen Mann. (Jos 4,2)13Wenn dann die Fußsohlen der Priester, welche die Lade des HERRN, des Herrn der ganzen Erde, tragen, im Wasser des Jordan stillstehen, so wird das Wasser des Jordan, das Wasser, das von oben herabfließt, abgeschnitten werden, und es wird stehen bleiben wie ein Damm. (2Mo 14,21; Jos 3,11; Ps 114,3; Ps 114,5)14Als nun das Volk auszog aus seinen Zelten, um über den Jordan zu gehen, und die Priester die Bundeslade vor dem Volk hertrugen, (5Mo 31,26; Jos 3,3; Jos 3,6; Jos 6,6; Apg 7,44)15und als die, welche die Lade trugen, an den Jordan kamen, und die Priester, welche die Lade trugen, ihre Füße am Flussrand in das Wasser tauchten (der Jordan aber war überall über die Ufer getreten während der ganzen Zeit der Ernte), (Jos 4,18; 1Chr 12,15)16da stand das Wasser, das von oben herabkam, aufgerichtet wie ein Damm, weit entfernt bei der Stadt Adam, die neben Zartan liegt; aber das Wasser, das zum Meer der Arava[3] hinabfloss, zum Salzmeer[4], nahm ab und verlief sich völlig. So ging das Volk hinüber vor Jericho. (1Mo 14,3; 4Mo 34,3; 4Mo 34,12; Jos 8,14; Jos 11,2; Jos 11,16; Jos 12,1; Jos 12,3; Jos 12,8; Jos 18,18; 1Kön 4,12; 1Kön 7,46)17Und die Priester, welche die Bundeslade des HERRN trugen, standen fest auf dem Trockenen, mitten im Jordan; und ganz Israel ging auf dem Trockenen hinüber, bis das ganze Volk den Jordan völlig überschritten hatte. (2Mo 14,22; 2Mo 14,29; Jos 4,10)
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. (Jos 2,1)2At the end of three days the officers went through the camp (Jos 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. (5Mo 31,9; 5Mo 31,25; Jos 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.” (2Mo 19,12)5Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (2Mo 19,10; 2Mo 19,14; 3Mo 20,7; 4Mo 11,18; Jos 7,13; 1Sam 16,5; Joe 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. (4Mo 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. (Jos 1,5; Jos 4,14; 1Chr 29,25; 2Chr 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.’” (Jos 3,3; Jos 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. (2Mo 13,5; 2Mo 33,2; 5Mo 5,26; 5Mo 7,1; 1Sam 17,26; Ps 44,2)11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth[2] is passing over before you into the Jordan. (5Mo 9,3; Mi 4,13; Sach 4,14; Sach 6,5)12Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. (4Mo 13,2; Jos 4,2; Jos 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.” (2Mo 15,8; Jos 3,11; Jos 3,15; Ps 78,13; Ps 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, (Apg 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), (Jos 3,13; Jos 4,18; Jos 5,10; Jos 5,12; 1Chr 12,15; Jer 12,5; Jer 49,19; Jer 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. (1Mo 14,3; 4Mo 34,3; 5Mo 1,1; 1Kön 4,12; 1Kön 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. (2Mo 14,29; Jos 4,22)
1Early one morning Joshua and all the Israelites started out from Shittim. They went down to the River Jordan. They camped there before they went across it.2After three days the officers went all through the camp.3They gave orders to the people. They said, ‘Watch for the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. The priests, who are Levites, will be carrying it. When you see it, you must move out from where you are and follow it.4Then you will know which way to go. You have never gone this way before. But don’t go near the ark. Stay about 1,000 metres away from it.’5Joshua said to the people, ‘Set yourselves apart to the LORD. Tomorrow he’ll do amazing things among you.’6Joshua said to the priests, ‘Go and get the ark of the covenant. Walk on ahead of the people.’ So they went and got it. Then they walked on ahead of them.7The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to honour you in the eyes of all the Israelites. Then they will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.8Speak to the priests who carry the ark of the covenant. Tell them, “When you reach the edge of the River Jordan, go into the water and stand there.” ’9Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘Come here. Listen to what the LORD your God is saying.10You will soon know that the living God is among you. He will certainly drive out the people now living in the land. He’ll do it to make room for you. He’ll drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.11The ark will go into the River Jordan ahead of you. It’s the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth.12Choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel. Choose one from each tribe.13The priests will carry the ark of the LORD. He’s the Lord of the whole earth. As soon as the priests step into the Jordan, it will stop flowing. The water that’s coming down the river will pile up in one place. That’s how you will know that the living God is among you.’14So the people took their tents down. They prepared to go across the River Jordan. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.15The water of the Jordan was going over its banks. It always does that at the time the crops are being gathered. The priests came to the river. Their feet touched the water’s edge.16Right away the water coming down the river stopped flowing. It piled up far away at a town called Adam near Zarethan. The water flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people went across the River Jordan opposite Jericho.17The priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD. They stopped in the middle of the river and stood on dry ground. They stayed there until the whole nation of Israel had gone across on dry ground.