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14 The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front, 15 until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime.[a] But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, 16-17 the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.

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Footnotes

  1. 3.15 springtime: Or “harvest time”; the grain harvest was in late spring.

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant(A) went ahead(B) of them. 15 Now the Jordan(C) is at flood stage(D) all during harvest.(E) 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.(F) It piled up in a heap(G) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,(H) while the water flowing down(I) to the Sea of the Arabah(J) (that is, the Dead Sea(K)) was completely cut off.(L) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.(M) 17 The priests(N) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,(O) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.(P)

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