6 Now the gates of Jericho^(A) were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

² Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered^(B) Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. ³ March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns^(C) in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.^{(D) 5} When you hear them sound a long blast^(E) on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout;^(F) then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”^{(G) 7} And he ordered the army, “Advance^(H)! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark^(I) of the Lord.”

⁸ When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. ⁹ The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard^(J) followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. ¹⁰ But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!^(K)” ¹¹ So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

¹² Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³ The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. ¹⁴ So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.^{(L) 16} The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!^{(M) 17} The city and all that is in it are to be devoted^[a](N) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute^(O) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid^(P) the spies we sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(Q) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction^(R) and bring trouble^(S) on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(T) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded,^(U) the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,^(V) the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.^{(W) 21} They devoted^(X) the city to the Lord and destroyed^(Y) with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

²² Joshua said to the two men^(Z) who had spied out^(AA) the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.^(AB)” ²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.^(AC) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city^(AD) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(AE) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.^{(AF) 25} But Joshua spared^(AG) Rahab the prostitute,^(AH) with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho^(AI)—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

²⁶ At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:^(AJ) “Cursed^(AK) before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

²⁷ So the Lord was with Joshua,^(AM) and his fame spread^(AN) throughout the land.

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(A) who has made the two groups one^(B) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord^(A) and in his mighty power.^{(B) 11} Put on the full armor of God,^(C) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,^(D) but against the rulers, against the authorities,^(E) against the powers^(F) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.^{(G) 13} Therefore put on the full armor of God,^(H) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,^(I) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,^{(J) 15} and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.^{(K) 16} In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,^(L) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.^{(M) 17} Take the helmet of salvation^(N) and the sword of the Spirit,^(O) which is the word of God.^(P)

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit^(Q) on all occasions^(R) with all kinds of prayers and requests.^(S) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying^(T) for all the Lord’s people.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(A) Not many of you were wise^(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(C) the foolish^(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(E)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(F) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(H) holiness^(I) and redemption.^{(J) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[a](K)