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Jozueu u ngrit herët në mëngjes; ai dhe tërë bijtë e Izraelit u nisën pastaj nga Shitimi dhe arritën në Jordan; u ndalën aty para se ta kalojnë

Mbas tri ditëve, oficerët kaluan nëpër tërë kampin,

dhe i dhanë popullit këtë urdhër, duke i thënë: "Kur të shihni arkën e besëlidhjes të Zotit, Perëndisë tuaj, të mbajtur nga priftërinjtë levitë, do të niseni nga vendi juaj dhe do ta ndiqni.

Midis jush dhe arkës do të ketë një largësi prej rreth dy mijë kubitësh. Mos iu afroni asaj, me qëllim që të njihni rrugën nëpër të cilën duhet të shkoni, sepse deri tani nuk keni kaluar kurrë nëpër këtë rrugë".

Dhe Jozueu i tha popullit: "Shenjtërohuni, sepse nesër Zoti ka për të bërë mrekulli midis jush".

Pastaj Jozueu u foli priftërinjve, duke u thënë: "Merrni arkën e besëlidhjes dhe kaloni përpara popullit". Kështu ata morën arkën e besëlidhjes dhe ecën para popullit.

Atëherë Zoti i tha Jozueut: "Sot do të filloj të të bëj të madh në sytë e të gjithë Izraelit, me qëllim që të kuptojnë se ashtu siç kam qenë me Moisiun, kështu do të jem edhe me ty.

Prandaj ti jepu këtë urdhër priftërinjve që mbajnë arkën e besëlidhjes, duke u thënë: "Kur të arrini në breg të Jordanit, do të ndaleni në Jordan"".

Jozueu u tha atëherë bijve të Izraelit: "Afrohuni dhe dëgjoni fjalët e Zotit, Perëndisë tuaj".

10 Pastaj Jozueu tha: "Nga kjo do të njihni që Zoti i gjallë është midis jush dhe që me siguri ka për të dëbuar para jush Kananejtë, Hitejtë, Hivejtë, Perezejtë, Girgasejtë, Amorejtë dhe Jebusejtë;

11 ja, arka e besëlidhjes së Zotit të të gjithë dheut po bëhet gati të kalojë para jush në lumin Jordan.

12 Merrni, pra, dymbëdhjetë burra nga fiset e Izraelit, një për çdo fis.

13 Dhe ka për të ndodhur që, porsa tabanët e këmbëve të priftërinjve që mbajnë arkën e Zotit, Zot i gjithë tokës, do të takojnë në ujërat e Jordanit, ujërat e Jordanit do të ndahen, dhe ujërat që zbresin nga lart do të ndalen tok".

14 Kështu, kur populli ngriti çadrat për të kaluar Jordanin, priftërinjtë që mbanin arkën e besëlidhjes ecnin përpara popullit.

15 Sapo ata që mbanin arkën arritën në Jordan dhe këmbët e priftërinjve që trasportonin arkën u zhytën në ujërat e bregut të tij (Jordani është i mbushur plot deri në brigjet e tij gjatë tërë kohës së korrjes),

16 ujërat që zbrisnin nga sipër u ndalën dhe u ngritën tok shumë më lart se Adami, qyteti që ndodhet pranë Tsartanit; kështu që ujërat që zbrisnin në drejtim të detit të Arabahut, Detit të Kripur, u ndanë tërësisht prej tyre; dhe populli i kaloi përballë Jerikos.

17 Priftërinjtë që mbanin arkën e besëlidhjes të Zotit u ndalën në vend të thatë në mes të Jordanit, ndërsa tërë Izraeli po kalonte në të thatë, deri sa tërë populli mbaroi së kapërcyeri Jordanin.

Crossing the Jordan

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim(A) and went to the Jordan,(B) where they camped before crossing over. After three days(C) the officers(D) went throughout the camp,(E) giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant(F) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical(G) priests(H) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 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](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,(J) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things(K) among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you(L) in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.(M) Tell the priests(N) who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God(O) is among you(P) and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites,(Q) Hivites, Perizzites,(R) Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.(S) 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth(T) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.(U) 12 Now then, choose twelve men(V) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth(W)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream(X) will be cut off(Y) and stand up in a heap.(Z)

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant(AA) went ahead(AB) of them. 15 Now the Jordan(AC) is at flood stage(AD) all during harvest.(AE) Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing.(AF) It piled up in a heap(AG) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,(AH) while the water flowing down(AI) to the Sea of the Arabah(AJ) (that is, the Dead Sea(AK)) was completely cut off.(AL) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.(AM) 17 The priests(AN) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,(AO) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 3:4 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out (A)from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. (B)At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by (C)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. (D)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.” Then Joshua said to the people, (E)“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, (F)“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.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to (G)exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, (H)as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command (I)the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, (J)you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that (K)the living God is among you and that he will without fail (L)drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of (M)the Lord of all the earth[b] (N)is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore (O)take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, (P)from each tribe a man. 13 And (Q)when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, (R)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 (S)stand in one heap.”

14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing (T)the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and (U)the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now (V)the Jordan overflows all its banks (W)throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside (X)Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of (Y)the Arabah, (Z)the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, (AA)and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 3:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Joshua 3:11 Hebrew the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth