Joshua 6
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.H3405H5462H5462H6440H1121H3478H3318H9352But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.H3068H559H3091H7200H5414H3027H3405H4428H1368H24283You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.H5437H5892H582H4421H5362H5892H6471H259H6213H8337H31174Seven 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.H7651H3548H5375H6440H727H7651H7782H3104H7637H3117H5437H5892H7651H6471H3548H8628H77825When 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."H4900H3104H7161H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5892H5307H8478H5971H5927H3766So 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."H3091H1121H5126H7121H3548H559H5375H727H1285H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H30687Then 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."H559H5971H5674H5437H5892H2502H5674H6440H727H30688After 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.H3091H559H5971H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H5674H6440H3068H8628H7782H727H1285H3068H1980H3109Some 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.H2502H1980H6440H3548H8628H8628H7782H622H1980H310H727H1980H8628H778210"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!"H3091H6680H5971H559H7321H8085H6963H1697H3318H6310H3117H559H7321H732111So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.H727H3068H5437H5892H5362H6471H259H935H4264H3885H426412Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD.H3091H7925H1242H3548H5375H727H306813The 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.H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H3068H1980H1980H8628H7782H2502H1980H6440H622H1980H310H727H3068H1980H8628H778214On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.H8145H3117H5437H5892H6471H259H7725H4264H6213H8337H311715On 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.H7637H3117H7925H5927H7837H5437H5892H4941H7651H6471H3117H5437H5892H7651H647116The 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!H7637H6471H3548H8628H7782H3091H559H5971H7321H3068H5414H589217Jericho 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.H5892H2764H3068H7343H2181H2421H1004H2244H4397H797118"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.H7535H8104H2764H2763H3947H2764H7760H4264H3478H2764H591619Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury."H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H6944H3068H935H214H306820When 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.H5971H7321H8628H7782H5971H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5307H5971H5927H5892H376H3920H589221They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.H2763H5892H376H802H5288H2205H7794H7716H2543H6310H271922Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, "Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute's house and bring her out, along with all her family."H3091H559H8147H582H7270H776H935H2181H1004H3318H802H765023The 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.H5288H7270H935H3318H7343H1H517H251H3318H4940H3240H2351H4264H347824Then 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.H8313H5892H784H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H5414H214H1004H306825So 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.H3091H2421H7343H2181H2421H1H1004H3427H7130H3478H3117H2244H4397H3091H7971H7270H340526At 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."H3091H7650H6256H559H779H376H6440H3068H6965H1129H5892H3405H3245H1060H6810H5324H181727So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.H3068H3091H8089H776
New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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