10. The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything the Lord had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side.
11. As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with the Lord’s ark crossed and went ahead of them.
12. The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh did as Moses had told them. They marched across in battle formation ahead of the people of Israel.
13. About 40,000 armed men crossed the river in front of the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.
14. On that day the Lord honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.
15. The Lord said to Joshua,
16. “Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River.”
17. So Joshua ordered the priests, “Come out of the Jordan.”
18. The priests who carried the ark of the Lord’s promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.