約書亞記3:1-17

3:1 約書亞清早起來，和以色列眾人都離開什亭，來到約旦河，就住在那裡，等候過河。
3:2 過了三天，官長走遍營中，
3:3 吩咐百姓說：「你們看見耶和華─你們上帝的約櫃，又見祭司利未人抬著，就要離開所住的地方，跟著約櫃去。
3:4 只是你們和約櫃相離要量二千肘，不可與約櫃相近，使你們知道所當走的路，因為這條路你們向來沒有走過。」
3:5 約書亞吩咐百姓說：「你們要自潔，因為明天耶和華必在你們中間行奇事。」
3:6 約書亞又吩咐祭司說：「你們抬起約櫃，在百姓前頭過去。」於是他們抬起約櫃，在百姓前頭走。
3:7 耶和華對約書亞說：「從今日起，我必使你在以色列眾人眼前尊大，使他們知道我怎樣與摩西同在，也必照樣與你同在。
3:8 你要吩咐抬約櫃的祭司說：『你們到了約旦河的水邊上，就要在約旦河水裡站住。』」
3:9 約書亞對以色列人說：「你們近前來，聽耶和華─你們上帝的話。」
3:10 約書亞說：「看哪，普天下主的約櫃必在你們前頭過去，到約旦河裡，因此你們就知道在你們中間有永生上帝；並且他必在你們面前趕出迦南人、赫人、希未人、比利洗人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人、耶布斯人。
3:11 【併於上節】
3:12 你們現在要從以色列支派中揀選十二個人，每支派一人，
3:13 等到抬普天下主耶和華約櫃的祭司把腳站在約旦河水裡，約旦河的水，就是從上往下流的水，必然斷絕，立起成壘。」
3:14 百姓離開帳棚要過約旦河的時候，抬約櫃的祭司乃在百姓的前頭。
3:15 他們到了約旦河，腳一入水（原來約旦河水在收割的日子漲過兩岸），
3:16 那從上往下流的水便在極遠之地、撒拉但旁的亞當城那裡停住，立起成壘；那往亞拉巴的海，就是鹽海，下流的水全然斷絕。於是百姓在耶利哥的對面過去了。
3:17 抬耶和華約櫃的祭司在約旦河中的乾地上站定，以色列眾人都從乾地上過去，直到國民盡都過了約旦河。

 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days the officers went throughout the camp, ³ giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests 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] between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ And 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. ⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ 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 is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. ¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now then, choose twelve men 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—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

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

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    記得以前在軍中受訓的時候，要操練過敵人的壕溝，要有好些步驟，一一都要做的確實，不然是無法進攻到敵人的陣地，甚至在這過程中要喪失性命！現在想起來戰爭真的是危險的事情，就像做「極限運動」一般！

     然而以色列人要過約旦河，更是危險萬分的事情，因為河流底下的地形是十分詭異，水流更是有不同的力量。所以，耶利哥城的人不會擔心以色列人來攻擊，他們認為這是天然的屏障，絕對會保護他們的！

    然而創造宇宙萬物的上帝，與以色列人同在，甚至刻意要讓以色列人得著迦南地，因為這是祂應許給以色列的祖先亞伯拉罕的土地。也因此，祂用耶利哥人想不到的方法，也是人無法做到的，而且是最安全的方式，就是使河水退讓，露出乾地來。

    要是人能快速做的就是搭便橋，然在搭橋的時候，就沒有戰鬥力。可是讓河水退讓露出乾地，以色列人還可以做防禦的攻勢，不怕敵人來侵擾！所以，上帝不但是有智慧而且是行奇事的上帝！