6
Jericho Is Destroyed
1 Jericho was bolted and barred shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.
2 The Lord said to Joshua, “I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you.
3 All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days.
4 Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns.
5 When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.”
6 Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, “Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns ahead of the Lord’s ark.”
7 He told the troops, “March around the city. Let the armed men march ahead of the Lord’s ark.”
8 After Joshua had given orders to the troops, the seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns ahead of the Lord marched off as they blew their horns. The ark of the Lord’s promise followed them.
9 The armed men went ahead of the priests, who blew their horns. The rear guard followed the ark while the priests continued to blow their horns.
10 Joshua ordered the troops, “Don’t shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
11 So the Lord’s ark went around the city once. Then they went back to the camp and stayed there for the night.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests carried the Lord’s ark.
13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the Lord’s ark while the horns blew continually.
14 They went around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times the same way they had done it before. That was the only day they marched around it seven times.
16 When they went around the seventh time, the priests blew their rams’ horns.
Joshua said to the troops, “Shout, because the Lord has given you the city!
17 The city has been claimed by the Lord. Everything in it belongs to the Lord. Only the prostitute Rahab and all who are in the house with her will live because she hid the messengers we sent.
18 But stay away from what has been claimed by the Lord for destruction, or you, too, will be destroyed by the Lord. If you take anything that is claimed by the Lord, you will bring destruction and disaster on the camp of Israel.
19 All the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron are holy and belong to the Lord. They must go into the Lord’s treasury.”
20 So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams’ horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city.
21 They claimed everything in it for the Lord. With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
22 But Joshua said to the two spies, “Go to the prostitute’s house. Bring the woman out, along with everything she has, as you swore you would do for her.”
23 The spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, everything she had, and even all of her relatives. They gave them a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron into the Lord’s treasury.
25 Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab, her father’s family, and everything she had. She still lives in Israel today because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to look at Jericho.
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this curse:
“The Lord will curse
whoever comes to rebuild the city of Jericho.
It will cost him his firstborn son
to lay the foundation.
It will cost him his youngest son
to set up the city doors.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.