In verse 17 Joshua did so is literally “Joshua therefore commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan’ ” (Revised Standard Version). It is possible to shorten and combine as “Joshua gave the command.” One may also translate “Joshua did what the LORD had commanded him to do.”

Verse 18, as indicated in the introduction to this section, is much more wordy in Hebrew than in Good News Translation. Whereas Hebrew repeats the full phrase “the priests carrying the Covenant Box,” Good News Translation has shortened this to the priests, since the full information was given in verse 16. Reached the riverbank represents the repetitious “came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground” (Revised Standard Version). Here again, one may shorten by combining: “and hardly had the priests left the riverbed.” For English speakers “riverbed” is not too frequently used, and so instead of “came up out of the riverbed,” Good News Translation has reached the riverbank. But one may translate “as soon as the priests got out on the other side of the riverbed” or “as soon as the priests had crossed the riverbed.”

As soon as the priests reached the west bank of the Jordan, the water started flowing again and overflowed its banks as before (see 3.14-15).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .