¹⁶ “Command the priests bearing ^(A)the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁹ Then ^(A)God's temple in heaven was opened, and ^(B)the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,^[a] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and ^(C)heavy hail.

³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by ^(A)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. ^4 (B)Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits^[a] 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.” ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, ^(C)“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, ^(D)“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.

^16 (A)And you shall put into the ark the ^(B)testimony that I shall give you.

^17 (C)“You shall make a mercy seat^[a] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of ^(D)hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. ^(E)Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. ^20 (F)The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. ²¹ And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. ^22 (G)There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from ^(H)between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.