Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was closed as well as fortified, out of fear of the sons of Israel, and no one dared to depart or to enter.
Now all the entrances to Jericho were closed because of the army of Israel. No one went out and no one came in.
2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and all the strong men.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, its king, and its trained soldiers.
3 Have all the warriors circle the city once each day; you shall do so for six days.
You must march around the city, all the men of war going around the city one time. You must do this for six days.
4 Then, on the seventh day, the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used on the jubilee, and they shall precede the ark of the covenant. And you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.
Seven priests must carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you must march around the city seven times, and the priests must sound blasts on the trumpets.
5 And when the voice of the trumpet sounds longer and with interruptions, and it increases in your ears, then all the people shall cry out together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the foundation, and they shall enter it, each from a place opposite where they are standing.”
Then they must sound a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet all the people must shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat. The soldiers must attack, each one going straight ahead.”
6 Then Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and he said to them, “Take the ark of the covenant, and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and advance before the ark of the Lord.”
Then Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark of Yahweh.”
7 He also said to the people, “Go, and circle the city, armed, preceding the ark of the Lord.”
He said to the people, “Go over and march around the city, and the armed men will go ahead of the ark of Yahweh.”
8 And when Joshua had finished his words, and the seven priests sounded the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
Just as Joshua had said to the people, the seven priests carried the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Yahweh. As they advanced, they gave a blast on the trumpets. The ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed after them.
9 and all the armed soldiers went ahead, the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets grew louder everywhere.
Armed men walked before the priests, and they made a blast on their trumpets, but then the rear guard walked up behind the ark, and the priests blew their trumpets continually.
10 But Joshua had instructed the people, saying, “You shall not cry out, nor shall your voice be heard, and no word at all shall proceed from your mouth, until the day arrives on which I will say to you, ‘Cry out, and shout.’”
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “Do not shout. No sound must leave your mouths until the day I tell you to shout. Only then you must shout.”
11 Thus, the ark of the Lord circled the city once each day, and returning to the camp, it remained there.
So he caused the ark of Yahweh to go around the city one time that day. Then they entered their camp, and they stayed the night in the camp.
12 And so, with Joshua, arising in the night, the priests took the ark of the Lord,
Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the ark of Yahweh.
13 and seven of them took the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and they preceded the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, and the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and they were blaring the trumpets.
The seven priests, who were carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark of Yahweh, walked steadily and gave blasts on the trumpets. Armed soldiers were walking in front of them. But when the rear guard walked after the ark of Yahweh, then the trumpets gave out continual blasts.
14 And they circled the city on the second day, once, and they returned to the camp. They did so for six days.
They marched around the city one time the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 Then, on the seventh day, rising at first light, they circled the city, just as had been ordered, seven times.
It was on the seventh day that they got up early at daybreak, and they marched around the city in the same way that was their pattern, this time for seven times. It was on this day that they marched around the city seven times.
16 And at the seventh circling, when the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua said to all of Israel: “Shout! For the Lord has delivered the city to you.
It was on the seventh day, when the priests gave a blast with the trumpets, that Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For Yahweh has given you the city.
17 And let this city be anathema, with all the things that are within it, before the Lord. May only Rahab the harlot live, with all who are with her in the house. For she hid the messengers whom we sent.
The city and all that is in it will be set apart to Yahweh for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute will live—she and all the ones with her in her house—because she hid the men we sent.
18 But you must be careful that you do not touch any of those things, as you have been instructed, for then you would be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel would be under sin and would be troubled.
But as for you, be on guard about taking the things set apart for destruction, so that after you mark them for destruction, you do not then take any of them. If you do this, you will make the camp of Israel something that must be destroyed and you will bring trouble on it.
19 But whatever gold and silver there will be, and vessels of brass or of iron, let these be consecrated to the Lord and be stored in his treasuries.”
All the silver, gold, and the things made of bronze and iron are set apart to Yahweh. They must go into the treasury of Yahweh.”
20 Therefore, with all the people shouting, and the trumpets blaring, after the voice and the sound increased in the ears of the multitude, the walls promptly fell to ruin. And each one climbed up at the place which was opposite where he was. And they seized the city.
When they gave blasts with the trumpets, the people gave a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so every man charged straight in and captured the city.
21 And they put to death all who were in it, from man even to woman, from infant even to elder. Likewise, the oxen and sheep and donkeys, they struck down with the edge of the sword.
They completely destroyed all that was in the city by the edge of the sword—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep and donkeys.
22 But Joshua said to the two men who had been sent to explore, “Enter the house of the harlot woman, and bring her out, and all the things that are hers, just as you assured her by oath.”
Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute's house. Bring out the woman and all who are with her, as you swore to her.”
23 And the youths entered, and they led out Rahab, and her parents, also her brothers, and all her goods and kindred, and they caused them to dwell outside the camp.
So the young men who had been spies went in and brought Rahab out. They brought out her father, mother, brothers, and all the relatives that were with her. They brought them to a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they set fire to the city and all the things that were within it, except the gold and silver, and the vessels of brass or of iron, which they consecrated into the treasury of the Lord.
They burned the city and everything in it. Only the silver, gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron were put into the treasury of the house of Yahweh.
25 Yet truly, Joshua caused Rahab the harlot, and her father’s household, and all she had, to survive. And they lived in the midst of Israel, even to the present day. For she hid the messengers, whom he had sent to explore Jericho. At that time, Joshua made an invocation, saying:
But Joshua allowed Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all that were with her to live. She lives in Israel to this day because she hid the men whom Joshua sent to spy on Jericho.
26 “Cursed before the Lord is the man who will raise up and rebuild the city of Jericho! With his firstborn, may he lay its foundation, and with the last of his children, may he set up its gates.”
Then Joshua commanded them at that time with an oath, and he said, “Cursed is the man in Yahweh's sight who rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay the foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.”
27 And so the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was made known throughout all the land.
So Yahweh was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
