Joshua 6

The Fall of Jericho

6The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city.H3405H5462H5462H6440H1121H3478H3318H9352The LORD said to Joshua, "I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers.H3068H559H3091H7200H5414H3027H3405H4428H1368H24283You and your soldiers are to march around the city once a day for six days.H5437H5892H582H4421H5362H5892H6471H259H6213H8337H31174Seven priests, each carrying a trumpet, are to go in front of the Covenant Box. On the seventh day you and your soldiers are to march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets.H7651H3548H5375H6440H727H7651H7782H3104H7637H3117H5437H5892H7651H6471H3548H8628H77825Then they are to sound one long note. As soon as you hear it, all the people are to give a loud shout, and the city walls will collapse. Then the whole army will go straight into the city."H4900H3104H7161H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5892H5307H8478H5971H5927H3766Joshua called the priests and told them, "Take the Covenant Box, and seven of you go in front of it, carrying trumpets."H3091H1121H5126H7121H3548H559H5375H727H1285H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H30687Then he ordered the people to start marching around the city, with an advance guard going on ahead of the LORD's Covenant Box.H559H5971H5674H5437H5892H2502H5674H6440H727H30688So, just as Joshua had ordered, an advance guard started out ahead of the priests who were blowing trumpets; behind these came the priests who were carrying the Covenant Box, followed by a rear guard.H3091H559H5971H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H5674H6440H3068H8628H7782H727H1285H3068H1980H3109All this time the trumpets were sounding.H2502H1980H6440H3548H8628H8628H7782H622H1980H310H727H1980H8628H778210But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order.H3091H6680H5971H559H7321H8085H6963H1697H3318H6310H3117H559H7321H732111So he had this group of men take the LORD's Covenant Box around the city one time. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there.H727H3068H5437H5892H5362H6471H259H935H4264H3885H426412Joshua got up early the next morning, and for the second time the priests and soldiers marched around the city in the same order as the day before: 06Jos 6:13 first, the advance guard; next, the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets; then, the priests carrying the LORD's Covenant Box; and finally, the rear guard. All this time the trumpets were sounding.H3091H7925H1242H3548H5375H727H306814On this second day they again marched around the city one time and then returned to camp. They did this for six days.H8145H3117H5437H5892H6471H259H7725H4264H6213H8337H311715On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched seven times around the city in the same way - this was the only day that they marched around it seven times.H7637H3117H7925H5927H7837H5437H5892H4941H7651H6471H3117H5437H5892H7651H647116The seventh time around, when the priests were about to sound the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people to shout, and he said, "The LORD has given you the city!H7637H6471H3548H8628H7782H3091H559H5971H7321H3068H5414H589217The city and everything in it must be totally destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only the prostitute Rahab and her household will be spared, because she hid our spies.H5892H2764H3068H7343H2181H2421H1004H2244H4397H797118But you are not to take anything that is to be destroyed; if you do, you will bring trouble and destruction on the Israelite camp.H7535H8104H2764H2763H3947H2764H7760H4264H3478H2764H591619Everything made of silver, gold, bronze, or iron is set apart for the LORD. It is to be put in the LORD's treasury."H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H6944H3068H935H214H306820So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it.H5971H7321H8628H7782H5971H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5307H5971H5927H5892H376H3920H589221With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys.H2763H5892H376H802H5288H2205H7794H7716H2543H6310H271922Joshua then told the two men who had served as spies, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring her and her family out, as you promised her."H3091H559H8147H582H7270H776H935H2181H1004H3318H802H765023So they went and brought Rahab out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and the rest of her family. They took them all, family and slaves, to safety near the Israelite camp.H5288H7270H935H3318H7343H1H517H251H3318H4940H3240H2351H4264H347824Then they set fire to the city and burned it to the ground, along with everything in it, except the things made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, which they took and put in the LORD's treasury.H8313H5892H784H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H5414H214H1004H306825But Joshua spared the lives of the prostitute Rahab and all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies that he had sent to Jericho. (Her descendants have lived in Israel to this day.)H3091H2421H7343H2181H2421H1H1004H3427H7130H3478H3117H2244H4397H3091H7971H7270H340526At this time Joshua issued a solemn warning: "Anyone who tries to rebuild the city of Jericho will be under the LORD's curse. Whoever lays the foundation will lose his oldest son; Whoever builds the gates will lose his youngest."H3091H7650H6256H559H779H376H6440H3068H6965H1129H5892H3405H3245H1060H6810H5324H181727So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread through the whole country.H3068H3091H8089H776