Joshua 6:6-20

Living Bible

^6-9 So Joshua summoned the priests and gave them their instructions: the armed men would lead the procession, followed by seven priests blowing continually on their trumpets. Behind them would come the priests carrying the Ark, followed by a rear guard.

¹⁰ “Let there be complete silence except for the trumpets,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout; then shout!”

¹¹ The Ark was carried around the city once that day, after which everyone returned to the camp again and spent the night there. ^12-14 At dawn the next morning they went around again and returned again to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.

¹⁵ At dawn of the seventh day they started out again, but this time they went around the city not once, but seven times. ¹⁶ The seventh time, as the priests blew a long, loud trumpet blast, Joshua yelled to the people, “Shout! The Lord has given us the city!”

¹⁷ (He had told them previously, “Kill everyone except Rahab the prostitute and anyone in her house, for she protected our spies. ¹⁸ Don’t take any loot, for everything is to be destroyed. If it isn’t, disaster will fall upon the entire nation of Israel. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold and the utensils of bronze and iron will be dedicated to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”)

²⁰ So when the people heard the trumpet blast, they shouted as loud as they could. And suddenly the walls of Jericho crumbled and fell before them, and the people of Israel poured into the city from every side and captured it!