Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was close shut up and fenced, for fear of the children of Israel, and no man durst go out or come in.
Jericho's gates were shut and barred because of the Israelites. Nobody was allowed in or out.
2 And the Lord said to Josue: Behold I have given into thy hands Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the valiant men.
But the Lord told Joshua, “I'm handing over the city of Jericho to you, along with its king and its army of warriors.
3 Go round about the city, all ye fighting men, once a day: so shall ye do for six days.
March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days.
4 And on the seventh day the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and shall go before the ark of the covenant: and you shall go about the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.
Seven priests are to go ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, march seven times around the city, with the priests blowing their rams' horns.
5 And when the voice of the trumpet shall give a longer and broken tune, and shall sound in your ears, all the people shall shout together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the ground, and they shall enter in every one at the place against which they shall stand.
When you hear a long blast on the rams' horns, everyone shall give a really loud shout. The city walls will collapse, and every man can go right in.”
6 Then Josue the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them: Take the ark of the covenant: and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and march before the ark of the Lord.
So Joshua, son of Nun, sent for the priests, and told them, “Pick up the Ark of Agreement, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns and go ahead of the Ark of the Lord.”
7 And he said to the people: Go, and compass the city, armed, marching before the ark of the Lord.
Then he told the people, “Move out! March around the city with the armed men up front ahead of the Ark of the Lord!”
8 And when Josue had ended his words, and the seven priests blew the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
When Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns in the presence of the Lord started out, blowing the horns, with the Ark following behind.
9 And all the armed men went before, the rest of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets was heard on all sides.
Some of the armed men marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while some followed the Ark, the horns being blown continually.
10 But Josue had commanded the people, saying: You shall not shout, nor shall your voice be heard, nor any word go out of your mouth: until the day come wherein I shall say to you: Cry, and shout.
However, Joshua ordered them, “Don't shout, don't even talk. Don't say anything until I tell you all to shout—then shout!”
11 So the ark of the Lord went about the city once a day, and returning into the camp, abode there.
So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. Then they returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 And Josue rising before day, the priests took the ark of the Lord,
Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord.
13 And seven of them seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee: and they went before the ark of the Lord walking and sounding the trumpets: and the armed men went before them, and the rest of the common people followed the ark, and they blew the trumpets.
The seven priests with the seven rams' horns went ahead of the Ark of the Lord, blowing the horns. The armed men went before them and behind the Ark of the Lord, the horns being blown continually.
14 And they went round about the city the second day once, and returned into the camp. So they did six days.
So on the second day they marched around the city, circling it once, and returned to the camp. They did this for a total of six days.
15 But the seventh day, rising up early, they went about the city, as it was ordered, seven times.
On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched around the city in the usual way, except that this day they circled the city seven times.
16 And when in the seventh going about the priests sounded with the trumpets, Josue said to all Israel: Shout: for the Lord hath delivered the city to you:
The seventh time around when the priests blew the horns, Joshua told the people, “Shout! For today the Lord has given the city to you!
17 And let this city be an anathema, and all things that are in it, to the Lord. Let only Rahab the harlot live, with all that are with her in the house: for she hid the messengers whom we sent.
The city and everything in it is to be set apart for the Lord and destroyed. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
18 But beware ye lest you touch ought of those things that are forbidden, and you be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel be under sin, and be troubled.
But stay away from everything set apart for the Lord, for if you were to take anything you too would be liable to be destroyed, and you would also bring disaster on the camp of Israel.
19 But whatsoever gold or silver there shall be, or vessels of brass and iron, let it be consecrated to the Lord, laid up in his treasures.
All the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord and they must be placed in the Lord's treasury.”
20 So all the people making a shout, and the trumpets sounding, when the voice and the sound thundered in the ears of the multitude, the walls forthwith fell down: and every man went up by the place that was over against him: and they took the city,
So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, the people gave a loud shout, and the city walls collapsed. The men went in right away and captured the city.
21 And killed all that were in it, man and woman, young and old. The oxen also and the sheep, and the asses, they slew with the edge of the sword.
They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
22 But Josue said to the two men that had been sent for spies: Go into the harlot’s house, and bring her out, and all things that are hers, as you assured her by oath.
Joshua had told the two men who had gone to explore the land, “Go to the house of Rahab the prostitute and bring her out together with all her family, as you promised.”
23 And the young men went in and brought out Rahab, and her parents, her brethren also and all her goods and her kindred, and made them to stay without the camp.
So the spies went and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, and all who were with her. They brought out the whole family and took them to a place near the Israelite camp.
24 But they burned the city, and all things that were therein; except the gold and silver, and vessels of brass and iron, which they consecrated into the treasury of the Lord.
Then the Israelites burned down the city and everything in it, except for the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, which they placed in the treasury of the Lord's house.
25 But Josue saved Rahab the harlot and her father’s house, and all she had, and they dwelt in the midst of Israel until this present day: because she hid the messengers whom he had sent to spy out Jericho. At that time, Josue made an imprecation, saying:
Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 Cursed be the man before the Lord, that shall raise up and build the city of Jericho. In his firstborn may he lay the foundation thereof, and in the last of his children set up its gates.
At that time Joshua declared a curse, saying: “Cursed before the Lord is anyone who attempts to rebuild this city of Jericho. He lays its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son; he sets up its gates at the cost of his youngest son.”
27 And the Lord was with Josue, and his name was noised throughout all the land.
So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
