Joshua 6

Joshua 6:1

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Joshua 6:1 · BSB

Joshua 6:2

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.

Joshua 6:2 · BSB

Joshua 6:3

March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:3 · BSB

Joshua 6:4

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

Joshua 6:4 · BSB

Joshua 6:5

And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”

Joshua 6:5 · BSB

flat Heb. under it

Joshua 6:6

So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”

Joshua 6:6 · BSB

Joshua 6:7

And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”

Joshua 6:7 · BSB

Joshua 6:8

After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

Joshua 6:8 · BSB

Joshua 6:9

While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark.

Joshua 6:9 · BSB

Joshua 6:10

But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!”

Joshua 6:10 · BSB

Joshua 6:11

So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.

Joshua 6:11 · BSB

Joshua 6:12

Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.

Joshua 6:12 · BSB

Joshua 6:13

And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.

Joshua 6:13 · BSB

Joshua 6:14

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Joshua 6:14 · BSB

Joshua 6:15

Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.

Joshua 6:15 · BSB

Joshua 6:16

After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!

Joshua 6:16 · BSB

Joshua 6:17

Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.

Joshua 6:17 · BSB

Joshua 6:18

But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.

Joshua 6:18 · BSB

Joshua 6:19

For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”

Joshua 6:19 · BSB

Joshua 6:20

So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.

Joshua 6:20 · BSB

flat Heb. under it

Joshua 6:21

At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

Joshua 6:21 · BSB

And they The Canaanites were ripe for destruction; and God was pleased , instead of destroying them by a pestilence , a famine , or an earthquake , to employ the Israelites as the executioners of his vengeance. Had an angel been commissioned to slay them , who would have charged him with iniquity or cruelty? In all public calamities infants are involved; and tens of thousands of infants die in great agony every year. Now , either God is not the agent in these calamities . which opinion , though often implied in men's reasonings on these subjects , is not far from atheism or they must consist with the most perfect justice and goodness.

Joshua 6:22

Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”

Joshua 6:22 · BSB

Joshua 6:23

So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:23 · BSB

kindred Heb. families

Joshua 6:24

Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.

Joshua 6:24 · BSB

Joshua 6:25

And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.

Joshua 6:25 · BSB

Joshua 6:26

At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”

Joshua 6:26 · BSB

Joshua 6:27

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Joshua 6:27 · BSB