Early the next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing over. After three days, the officers went throughout the camp, saying to the people, "When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, move out and follow it. This will show you the way to go, for you have never traveled this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the Ark—do not go near it."
Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." He also told the priests, "Take up the Ark of the Covenant and go ahead of the people." So they lifted it and went before them.
The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests carrying the Ark, 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, step into the river.'"
Joshua then said to the Israelites, "Come and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord set their feet in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap."
So when the people broke camp to cross the river, the priests carrying the Ark went ahead of them. Now the Jordan was at flood stage during harvest, yet as soon as the priests' feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a great heap far away at a town called Adam near Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Salt Sea was completely cut off.
So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel passed through, until the entire nation had crossed the river on dry land.