Joshua 5-7 - Prayer Tents

5When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.H4428H567H5676H3383H3220H4428H3669H3220H8085H3068H3001H4325H3383H6440H1121H3478H5674H3824H4549H7307H6440H1121H3478

Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies

2At that time the LORD told Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites."H6256H3068H559H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H7725H1121H3478H8145 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H1121H3478H1389H6190 4Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness.H1697H3091H4135H5971H3318H4714H2145H582H4421H4191H4057H1870H3318H4714 5Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised.H3588H5971H3318H4135H5971H3209H4057H1870H3318H4714H4135 6The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the LORD, and the LORD vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.H1121H3478H1980H705H8141H4057H1471H582H4421H3318H4714H8552H8085H6963H3068H3068H7650H7200H776H3068H7650H1H5414H776H2100H2461H1706 7So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers' places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land.H1121H6965H3091H4135H6189H4135H1870 8After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.H8552H4135H1471H3427H4264H2421 9Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt." So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.H3068H559H3091H3117H1556H2781H4714H8034H4725H7121H1537H3117 10While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.H1121H3478H2583H1537H6213H6453H702H6240H3117H2320H6153H6160H3405 11The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land.H398H5669H776H4283H6453H4682H7033H6106H3117 12No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.H4478H7673H4283H398H5669H776H1121H3478H4478H398H8393H776H3667H8141

The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua

13When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?"H3091H3405H5375H5869H7200H5975H376H2719H8025H3027H3091H3212H559H6862 14"Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the LORD's army." At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you want your servant to do?"H559H8269H6635H3068H935H3091H5307H6440H776H7812H559H1696H113H5650 15The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did as he was told.H8269H3068H6635H559H3091H5394H5275H7272H4725H5975H6944H3091H6213

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

Ai Defeats the Israelites

7But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.H1121H3478H4603H4604H2764H5912H1121H3756H1121H2067H1121H2226H4294H3063H3947H2764H639H3068H2734H1121H3478 2Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven.H3091H7971H582H3405H5857H5973H1007H6924H1008H559H559H5927H7270H776H582H5927H7270H5857 3When they returned, they told Joshua, "There's no need for all of us to go up there; it won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all our people struggle to go up there."H7725H3091H559H5971H5927H7969H505H376H5927H5221H5857H5971H3021H4592 4So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of AiH5927H5971H7969H505H376H5127H6440H582H5857 5chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.H582H5857H5221H7970H8337H376H7291H6440H8179H7671H5221H4174H3824H5971H4549H4325 6Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the LORD until evening.H3091H7167H8071H5307H776H6440H6440H727H3068H6153H2205H3478H5927H6083H7218 7Then Joshua cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side!H3091H559H162H136H3069H5674H5674H5971H5674H3383H5414H3027H567H6H3863H2974H3427H5676H3383 8Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies?H994H136H559H310H3478H2015H6203H6440H341 9For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?"H3669H3427H776H8085H5437H3772H8034H776H6213H1419H8034 10But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this?H3068H559H3091H6965H5307H6440 11Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.H3478H2398H5674H1285H6680H3947H2764H1589H3584H7760H3627 12That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.H1121H3478H3201H6965H6440H341H6437H6203H6440H341H2764H3254H3808H8045H2764H7130 13"Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.H6965H6942H5971H559H6942H4279H559H3068H430H3478H2764H7130H3478H3201H6965H6440H341H5493H2764H7130 14"In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the LORD will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the LORD will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one.H1242H7126H7626H7626H3068H3920H7126H4940H4940H3068H3920H7126H1004H1004H3068H3920H7126H1397H1397 15The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel."H3920H2764H8313H784H5674H1285H3068H6213H5039H3478

Achan’s Sin

16Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.H3091H7925H1242H7126H3478H7626H7626H3063H3920 17Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out.H7126H4940H3063H3920H4940H2227H7126H4940H2227H1397H1397H2067H3920 18Every member of Zimri's family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.H7126H1004H1397H1397H5912H1121H3756H1121H2067H1121H2226H4294H3063H3920 19Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me."H3091H559H5912H1121H7760H3519H3068H430H3478H5414H8426H5046H6213H3582 20Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.H5912H6030H3091H559H546H2398H3068H430H3478H6213 21Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."H7200H7998H259H2896H8152H155H3967H8255H3701H259H3956H2091H2572H8255H4948H2530H3947H2934H776H8432H168H3701 22So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest.H3091H7971H4397H7323H168H2934H168H3701 23They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the LORD.H3947H8432H168H935H3091H1121H3478H3332H6440H3068 24Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.H3091H3478H3947H5912H1121H2226H3701H155H3956H2091H1121H1323H7794H2543H6629H168H5927H6010H5911 25Then Joshua said to Achan, "Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will now bring trouble on you." And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.H3091H559H4100H5916H3068H5916H3117H3478H7275H68H8313H784H5619H68 26They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the LORD was no longer angry.H6965H1419H1530H68H3117H3068H7725H2740H639H8034H4725H7121H6010H5911H3117