Joshua 5:13-7:5

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Commander of the Lord’s Army

¹³ When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand.^(A) Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship^(B) and asked Him, “What does my Lord want to say to His servant?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”^(C) And Joshua did so.

The Conquest of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. ² The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men over to you.^{(D) 3} March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the trumpets.^{(E) 5} When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people will advance, each man straight ahead.”

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of the Lord.” ⁷ He said to the people, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed troops go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

⁸ After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. ⁹ While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.^{(F) 10} But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” ¹¹ So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.^[a]

¹² Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, ¹³ and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. ¹⁴ On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,^(G) because she hid the men^[b] we sent. ¹⁸ But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you^[c] take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. ¹⁹ For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”

²⁰ So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.^(H) The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. ²¹ They completely destroyed^(I) everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

Rahab and Her Family Spared

²² Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”^{(J) 23} So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ They burned up the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. ²⁵ However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she lives in Israel^(K) to this day.^(L)

²⁶ At that time Joshua imposed this curse:

²⁷ And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Defeat at Ai

7 The Israelites, however, were unfaithful^(N) regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven,^(O) east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.

³ After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don’t send all the people, but send about 2,000 or 3,000^[d] men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.” ⁴ So about 3,000 men^[e] went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.^{(P) 5} The men of Ai struck down about 36 of them and chased them from outside the gate to the quarries,^[f] striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people’s hearts melted and became like water.^(Q)