Joshua 6 - Prayer Tents

The Fall of Jericho

6Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.H3405H5462H5462H6440H1121H3478H3318H935 2But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.H3068H559H3091H7200H5414H3027H3405H4428H1368H2428 3You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.H5437H5892H582H4421H5362H5892H6471H259H6213H8337H3117 4Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.H7651H3548H5375H6440H727H7651H7782H3104H7637H3117H5437H5892H7651H6471H3548H8628H7782 5When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town."H4900H3104H7161H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5892H5307H8478H5971H5927H376 6So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn."H3091H1121H5126H7121H3548H559H5375H727H1285H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H3068 7Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD."H559H5971H5674H5437H5892H2502H5674H6440H727H3068 8After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD's Covenant followed behind them.H3091H559H5971H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H5674H6440H3068H8628H7782H727H1285H3068H1980H310 9Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.H2502H1980H6440H3548H8628H8628H7782H622H1980H310H727H1980H8628H7782 10"Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"H3091H6680H5971H559H7321H8085H6963H1697H3318H6310H3117H559H7321H7321 11So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.H727H3068H5437H5892H5362H6471H259H935H4264H3885H4264 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD.H3091H7925H1242H3548H5375H727H3068 13The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H3068H1980H1980H8628H7782H2502H1980H6440H622H1980H310H727H3068H1980H8628H7782 14On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.H8145H3117H5437H5892H6471H259H7725H4264H6213H8337H3117 15On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times.H7637H3117H7925H5927H7837H5437H5892H4941H7651H6471H3117H5437H5892H7651H6471 16The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the town!H7637H6471H3548H8628H7782H3091H559H5971H7321H3068H5414H5892 17Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.H5892H2764H3068H7343H2181H2421H1004H2244H4397H7971 18"Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.H7535H8104H2764H2763H3947H2764H7760H4264H3478H2764H5916 19Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury."H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H6944H3068H935H214H3068 20When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.H5971H7321H8628H7782H5971H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5307H5971H5927H5892H376H3920H5892 21They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.H2763H5892H376H802H5288H2205H7794H7716H2543H6310H2719 22Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, "Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute's house and bring her out, along with all her family."H3091H559H8147H582H7270H776H935H2181H1004H3318H802H7650 23The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.H5288H7270H935H3318H7343H1H517H251H3318H4940H3240H2351H4264H3478 24Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD's house.H8313H5892H784H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H5414H214H1004H3068 25So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.H3091H2421H7343H2181H2421H1H1004H3427H7130H3478H3117H2244H4397H3091H7971H7270H3405 26At that time Joshua invoked this curse: "May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates."H3091H7650H6256H559H779H376H6440H3068H6965H1129H5892H3405H3245H1060H6810H5324H1817 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.H3068H3091H8089H776