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 children of Israel. 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.
Jehovah said to Joshua, "Look, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.
3 March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days.
All your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this 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.
Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
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.”
It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him."
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.”
Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah."
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 said to the people, "Advance. March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before Jehovah's ark."
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.
It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Jehovah advanced, and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah 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.
The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.
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!”
Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall 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 caused the ark of Jehovah to go around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord.
Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah.
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.
The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them. The rear guard came after the ark of Jehovah. The trumpets sounded as they went.
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.
The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this 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.
It happened on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. Only on this day they marched around 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!
It happened at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for Jehovah 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.
The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Jehovah. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that 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 as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, so as not to covet and take of the devoted thing and make the camp of Israel accursed, and bring trouble on 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.”
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to Jehovah. They shall come into Jehovah's 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 the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. It happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21 They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
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.”
And Joshua said to the two young men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring out from there the woman and all that she has, as you swore to 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.
The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all her relatives, and they set them outside of 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.
They burnt the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of Jehovah'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.
But Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
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.”
Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before Jehovah, who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates."
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
So Jehovah was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
