Joshua 6:15-26
New Catholic Bible
15 On the seventh day they rose at daybreak and went around the city seven times just as they had before, but that day they went around the city seven times. 16 On the seventh time around when the priests blew their trumpets, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout out, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 The city and all that is in it are devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are in her household, for she hid the spies whom we sent there. 18 But avoid those things that are dedicated, lest you call a curse on yourself when you take something that is dedicated and you bring a curse and destruction upon the camp of Israel. 19 All the silver and gold and objects of bronze and iron are dedicated to the Lord. They must go into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 The people shouted and the priests blew their trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpets and the people let out a great shout, the wall collapsed, and each man went up in a straight line and they took the city. 21 They wiped out everything that was in the city, men and women, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, by the edge of the sword.
22 Rahab’s Family Spared. But Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the countryside, “Go to the harlot’s house and bring her out to me, her and everyone who is with her, just as you promised her that you would do.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone whom she had with her. They brought out the entire family and left them outside of the camp of Israel. 24 They then burned the entire city with everything that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and the objects of bronze and iron were put into the treasury in the house of the Lord. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, along with her father’s household, and all that she owned because she had hid the spies whom Joshua had sent. She lives among the Israelites up to the present.
26 Joshua then said, “May the man who attempts to rebuild this city, Jericho, be cursed by the Lord. May he lose his firstborn[b] if he lays its foundation, may he lose his youngest if he sets up its gates.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 6:17 Devoted: a reference to the anathema (i.e., consecrated to God), by which inhabitants and animals were condemned to destruction; the warriors were obliged not to take any booty; any precious objects were reserved for the sanctuary. In this case, the anathema has the character of simple destruction rather than of a complete offering to God.
- Joshua 6:26 Lose his firstborn: this is fulfilled in 1 Ki 16:34 when Jericho is rebuilt by a man whose son subsequently dies.
Joshua 6:15-26
New King James Version
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be (A)doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only (B)Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because (C)she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, (D)by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, (E)and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are [a]consecrated to the Lord; they [b]shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that (F)the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they (G)utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, (H)as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, (I)her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So (J)she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Then Joshua [c]charged them at that time, saying, (K)“Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 6:19 set apart
- Joshua 6:19 shall go
- Joshua 6:26 warned
Joshua 6:15-26
English Standard Version
15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be (A)devoted to the Lord for destruction.[a] Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she (B)hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel (C)a thing for destruction and (D)bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and (E)the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they (F)devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, (G)as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and (H)her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. (I)Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And (J)she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, (K)“Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
“At the cost of his firstborn
shall he lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son
shall he set up its gates.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 6:17 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 18, 21
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
