Joshua 6
1 Jericho's gates were shut and barred because of the Israelites. Nobody was allowed in or out.
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 But the Lord told Joshua, “I'm handing over the city of Jericho to you, along with its king and its army of warriors.
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
3 March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days.
March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.
4 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.
Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
5 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.”
And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”
6 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.”
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
7 Then he told the people, “Move out! March around the city with the armed men up front ahead of the Ark of the Lord!”
And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”
8 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.
After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 Some of the armed men marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while some followed the Ark, the horns being blown continually.
While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark.
10 However, Joshua ordered them, “Don't shout, don't even talk. Don't say anything until I tell you all to shout—then shout!”
But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!”
11 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.
So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord.
Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.
13 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.
And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.
14 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.
So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 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.
Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.
16 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!
After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
17 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.
Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.
18 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.
But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.
19 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.”
For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”
20 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.
So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.
21 They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
22 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.”
Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”
23 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.
So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
24 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.
Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.
25 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.
And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.
26 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.”
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
