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ヨルダン川を渡る

翌朝早く、ヨシュアに率いられたイスラエル人は、シティムを出発し、夕方にはヨルダン川の岸に着きました。川を渡る前に、そこに幾日かとどまりました。 2-4 三日目に、指導者たちは野営地を巡って、人々に次のような命令を伝えました。「主の契約の箱(十戒を記した石板が納めてある)をかついでいる祭司たちの姿が見えたら、あとに従いなさい。これから行く所は見知らぬ地だから、祭司が先導するのです。ただし、箱との間は、二千キュビト(約九百メートル)の距離を保ちなさい。それより近づいてはなりません。」

それから、ヨシュアは人々に、それぞれ身をきよめるように命じ、「明日、主が偉大な奇跡を行われるから」と言いました。 翌朝、ヨシュアは祭司たちに命じました。「契約の箱をかつぎ、先頭に立って川を渡りなさい。」言われたとおり、祭司たちは出発しました。

主はヨシュアに、「今日、あなたに大きな栄誉を授けよう。わたしがモーセとともにいたように、あなたとともにいることを、イスラエルの人々に知らせるためだ。 契約の箱をかつぐ祭司たちには、水ぎわに来たら水の中に立つよう命じなさい」と告げました。 ヨシュアは人々を召集し、語りました。「さあ、よく聞きなさい。主のことばを告げよう。 10 生ける神があなたがたのうちにおられ、カナン人、ヘテ人、ヒビ人、ペリジ人、ギルガシ人、エモリ人、エブス人など、やがて占領する地の全住民を必ず追い払ってくださることが、今日、はっきりわかるだろう。 11 いいですか。全地の支配者である主の契約の箱が、先頭に立って、ヨルダン川を渡ろうとしている。 12 今、各部族から一人ずつ、十二人を選びなさい。 13-14 箱をかつぐ祭司たちの足が川に入った瞬間、流れはせき止められるだろう。まるで見えない壁にはばまれたように、水は盛り上がるはずだ。」

15 ちょうど刈り入れの季節を迎えたヨルダン川は、岸いっぱいに水をたたえていました。イスラエルの民が川を渡ろうと出発し、箱をかつぐ祭司たちが足を入れた時、 16 突然、はるか川上のツァレタン付近の町アダムで水はせき止められ、盛り上がり始めたのです。また、その地点より川下の水は塩の海(死海)に流れ込み、ついに川床がむき出しになりました。こうして人々はみな、エリコの町に向かって渡ったのです。 17 箱をかつぐ祭司たちは、川の真ん中の乾いた地面に立ち、全員が渡り終えるまで待っていました。

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

And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

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.

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.

And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.

10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.