Font Size
Joshua 3:2-4
New Catholic Bible
Joshua 3:2-4
New Catholic Bible
2 Three days later the leaders of the people passed through the camp 3 giving orders to the people saying, “When you see the priests and Levites carrying the Ark of the Lord, your God, set out from where you are and follow after it. 4 Maintain a distance of about two thousand cubits[a] between it and yourselves; do not approach it too closely. Thus you will know the way you are to go, for you have never passed this way before.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 3:4 Cubits: a measure of length in Hebrew; a cubit was about 50 cm. Two thousand cubits or a thousand yards was the distance of a Sabbath walk, that is, of the walk permitted to Hebrews on the Sabbath; this limitation symbolized the respect due to the divine transcendence.
Joshua 3:2-4
New International Version
Joshua 3:2-4
New International Version
2 After three days(A) the officers(B) went throughout the camp,(C) 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant(D) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical(E) priests(F) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits[a](G) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 3:4 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters
Joshua 3:2-4
English Standard Version
Joshua 3:2-4
English Standard Version
2 (A)At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by (B)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 4 (C)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.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 3:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
Joshua 3:2-4
King James Version
Joshua 3:2-4
King James Version
2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
4 Yet 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.
Read full chapter
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.