Joshua 3:16 kjva — That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Z…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"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."

— Joshua 3:16, King James Version with Apocrypha

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Joshua 3:16 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. ”

  • WEB

    “that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over right against Jericho.”

  • NET

    “the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam(the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the rift valley(the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho.”

  • DRB

    “The waters that came down from above stood in one place, and swelling up like a mountain, were seen afar off, from the city that is called Adom, to the place of Sarthan: but those that were beneath, ran down into the sea of the wilderness, (which now is called the Dead Sea) until they wholly failed.”

  • BBE

    “Then the waters flowing down from higher up were stopped and came together in a mass a long way back at Adam, a town near Zarethan; and the waters flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were cut off: and the people went across opposite Jericho.”

Joshua 3 — Context

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.

Joshua 3:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Joshua 3:16 say?
Joshua 3:16 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “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.”
Where is Joshua 3:16 in the Bible?
Joshua 3:16 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Joshua, chapter 3, verse 16.
Who wrote Joshua?
Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua (traditional). Traditionally written by Joshua with later additions noting his death and burial. It was written c. 1405–1380 BC.
What is the book of Joshua about?
Joshua is the account of Israel's entry into Canaan under Moses' successor — the crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, the conquest of the land, and its division among the twelve tribes. It is a record of God's faithfulness to his covenant promise to Abraham.
What are the major themes of Joshua?
Joshua explores themes including Conquest, Faithfulness, Inheritance, Courage, Holy War. These themes shape the meaning and context of Joshua 3:16.
What translation should I read Joshua 3:16 in?
Joshua 3:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Joshua 3:16?
Joshua 3:16 reads (KJVA): “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.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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