1Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No-one went out and no-one came in.2Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.3March round the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.4Make seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march round the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.5When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, make the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.’6So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and make seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.’7And he ordered the army, ‘Advance! March round the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.’8When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forwards, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them.9The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.10But Joshua had commanded the army, ‘Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!’11So he had the ark of the Lord carried round the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.12Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.13The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forwards, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding.14So on the second day they marched round the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.15On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched round the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.16The seventh time round, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!17The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[1] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.18But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.19All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.’20When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.21They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it – men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, ‘Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.’23So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.24Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house.25But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho – and she lives among the Israelites to this day.26At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: ‘Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: ‘At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.’27So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
Joshua 6
English Standard Version
The Fall of Jericho
1Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.2And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. (De 7:24; Jos 2:9; Jos 2:24; Jos 8:1; Ne 9:24)3You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.4Seven 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. (Nu 10:8; Jos 6:5; Jos 6:8; Jos 6:13; Jud 7:16; Jud 7:22)5And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,[1] and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”6So 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 the Lord.”7And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.” (Jos 4:12)8And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them.9The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. (Nu 10:25; Jos 6:13; Isa 52:12; Isa 58:8)10But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”11So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.12Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. (Jos 3:6)13And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually.14And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.15On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times.16And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.17And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.[2] Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. (Le 27:28; De 20:17; Jos 2:4)18But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. (Jos 7:12; Jos 7:25; 1Ch 2:7)19But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”20So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted 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 captured the city. (Jos 6:5; Heb 11:30)21Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. (De 7:2)22But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” (Jos 2:14; Heb 11:31)23So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. (Jos 2:13)24And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. (Jos 6:19)25But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (Mt 1:5)26Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. “At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.” (1Ki 16:34)27So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. (Jos 1:5; Jos 9:9)