Add parallel Print Page Options

The Destruction of Jericho

Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out, and no one came in. And Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with (A)its king and the valiant warriors. And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven (B)trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And it will be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down [a]beneath itself, and the people will go up every man [b]straight ahead.”

So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Carry the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh.” Then [c]he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of Yahweh.” And so it happened that, when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh passed on forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came after them. And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and (C)the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!” 11 So he had the ark of Yahweh [d]taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests carried the ark of Yahweh. 13 (D)And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and (E)the rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh, and they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.

15 Then it happened that on the seventh day they rose early at the [e]breaking of dawn and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 Now it happened that on the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “(F)Shout! For Yahweh has given you the city. 17 And the city shall be (G)devoted to destruction, it and all that is in it belongs to Yahweh; only Rahab the harlot [f]and all who are with her in the house shall live because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest as you are devoting them to destruction, you also (H)take some of the things devoted to destruction and make the camp of Israel devoted to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 (I)But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh; they shall go into the treasury of Yahweh.” 20 So the people shouted, and [g]the priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the (J)wall fell down [h]beneath itself, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight [i]ahead, and they took the city. 21 (K)And they devoted to destruction everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 Now to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “(L)Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and (M)brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 (N)But they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the [j]house of Yahweh. 25 However, (O)Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua preserved alive; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for (P)she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua made them swear an oath at that time, saying, “(Q)Cursed before Yahweh is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.” 27 So (R)Yahweh was with Joshua, and the (S)report about him was in all the land.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 6:5 Or in its place
  2. Joshua 6:5 Lit before himself
  3. Joshua 6:7 Or they
  4. Joshua 6:11 Lit to go around
  5. Joshua 6:15 Lit rising
  6. Joshua 6:17 Lit she and all
  7. Joshua 6:20 Or they
  8. Joshua 6:20 Lit in its place
  9. Joshua 6:20 Lit before himself
  10. Joshua 6:24 The tabernacle

Forsooth Jericho was (en)closed and warded, for the dread of the sons of Israel (for fear of the Israelites), and no man durst enter, either go out.

And the Lord said to Joshua, Lo! I have given into thine hands Jericho (Lo! I have given Jericho into thy hands), and the king thereof, and all the strong men of it.

All ye fighters, compass the city once by the day; so ye shall do in six days (so ye shall do for six days).

And in the seventh day, the priests shall take seven clarions, which be used in the jubilee; and they shall go before the ark of [the] bond of peace; and seven times ye shall compass the city, and the priests shall trump with the clarions. (And on the seventh day, the priests shall take seven trumpets, which be used on the Jubilee; and they shall go before the Ark of the Covenant; and seven times ye shall go around the city, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.)

And when the voice of the trump shall sound longer, and more by whiles, and shall sound in your ears, all the people shall cry together with (the) greatest cry; and the walls of the city shall fall all-down (and the city walls shall all fall down), and all (the) men shall enter by the place, against which they stand.

Therefore Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and said to them, Take ye the ark of the bond of peace, and seven other priests take they seven clarions of the jubilee years, and go they before the ark of the Lord. (And so Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and said to them, Take ye the Ark of the Covenant, and seven other priests take they seven trumpets used in the Jubilee years, and go they before the Ark of the Lord.)

Also Joshua said to the people, Go ye, and compass ye the city, and go ye armed before the ark of the Lord. (And Joshua said to the people, Go ye, and go ye around the city, and go ye armed before the Ark of the Lord.)

And when Joshua had ended these words, and the seven priests trumped with seven trumps before the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, (And when Joshua had finished speaking, the seven priests blew the seven trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord,)

and all the people armed went before, and the tother common people of fighters followed the ark, and all things sounded with the trumps. (and all the armed men went before them, and the other common people of fighting men followed the Ark, and everything echoed with the sound of the trumpets.)

10 And Joshua commanded to the people, and said, Ye shall not cry, neither your voice shall be heard, neither any word shall go out of your mouth, till the day come, in which I shall say to you, Cry ye, and (then) make ye noise.

11 Therefore the ark of the Lord compassed the city once by the day, and it turned again into the tents, and dwelled there. (And so they took the Ark of the Lord around the city once that day, and then they returned to their tents, or the camp, and stayed there.)

12 Therefore while Joshua rose early in the morrowtide, [the] priests took the ark of the Lord; (And the next day, Joshua rose up early in the morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord;)

13 and seven of the priests took seven clarions, which were used in the jubilee, and the priests went before the ark of the Lord, and trumped; and the people went armed before them. And the tother common people followed the ark, and sounded with trumps. (and seven of the priests took up seven trumpets, which were used on the Jubilee, and they went before the Ark of the Lord, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them. And the other common people followed the Ark, the trumpets sounding as they went.)

14 And they compassed the city in the second day once, and turned again into the tents; so they did six days. (And they went around the city once on the second day, and then they returned to their tents; and so they did for six days.)

15 And in the seventh day they rose early, and compassed the city, as it was ordained, seven times. (And on the seventh day they all rose up early, and went around the city, as it was ordained, seven times.)

16 And when in the seventh compass, the priests sounded with clarions, Joshua said to all Israel, Cry ye, for the Lord hath betaken the city to us; (And on the seventh time around, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to all Israel, Shout ye, for the Lord hath delivered the city to us;)

17 and this city be cursed, either destroyed, and all things that be therein be hallowed to the Lord. (Let) Rahab the whore alone live, with all the men that be with her in the house; for she hid the messengers which we sent (for she hid the spies that we sent).

18 And be ye ware, lest ye touch anything of these [things] that be forbidden to you, and ye be guilty of trespassing; and all the tents of Israel be under sin, and be troubled (for then all the tents of Israel would be under sin, and we would be in great trouble).

19 For whatever thing is of gold, and of silver, and of brazen vessels, and of iron (vessels), be it hallowed to the Lord, and be it kept in his treasuries.

20 Then while all the people cried, and the trumps sounded, after that the sound sounded in the ears of the multitude, the walls felled down anon; and each man went up by the place that was against him. And they took the city, (Then while the trumpets sounded, and were heard in the ears of the multitude, all the people shouted, and the walls fell down at once; and each man advanced straight ahead. And they took the city,)

21 and they killed all things that were therein, from man unto woman, (and) from a young child unto an eld man; also they killed by sharpness of sword, oxen, sheep, and asses (and they killed by the sharpness of their swords, all the oxen, and the sheep, and the donkeys).

22 Forsooth Joshua said to [the] two men, that were sent (as) spyers, Enter ye into the house of the woman whore, and bring ye forth her, and all things that be hers, as ye made steadfast to her by an oath. (And Joshua said to the two men, who were sent as spies, Go ye into the house of the whore-woman, and bring ye her forth, and all the things that be hers, as ye made steadfast to her, that is, as ye promised her, by your oath.)

23 And the young men entered in, and they led out Rahab, and her father, and mother, and all her brethren, and all the purtenance of her, and kindred; and they made them to dwell without the tents of Israel. (And the young men went in, and they led out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and all her brothers, and sisters, yea, all her family, and all who belonged to her; and they let them live outside Israel’s camp.)

24 And the men of Israel burnt the city, and all things that were found therein, except [the] gold, and silver, and brazen vessels, and iron (vessels), which they hallowed into the treasury of the Lord (which they put in the Lord’s treasury).

25 Soothly Joshua made Rahab the whore to live, and her father’s house(hold), and all things that she had; and they dwelled in the midst of Israel, unto this present day; for she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to espy Jericho. (And Joshua spared the lives of Rahab the whore, and her family, and all who belonged to her; and her descendants have lived in the midst of Israel unto this present day; for she hid the men, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.)

26 In that time Joshua prayed heartily, and said, Cursed before the Lord be the man, that raiseth up and buildeth (again) the city of Jericho! Lay he the foundaments thereof in his first engendered son, and put he the gates thereof in the last of his free children. (And at that time Joshua heartily prayed, and said, Cursed be the man before the Lord, who raiseth up and buildeth again this city of Jericho! May he lay its foundations at the cost of the life of his first-born son, and may he put up its gates at the cost of the life of his last child.)

27 Therefore the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was published in each land. (And so the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was made known throughout the land.)

The Destruction of Jericho

Now (A)Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! (B)I have given Jericho into your hand, its (C)king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven (D)trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city (E)seven times, and (F)the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.”

So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, (G)and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” 11 So he had (H)the ark of the Lord circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and [a]lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, (I)and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.

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 (J)doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only (K)Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because (L)she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, (M)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, (N)and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are [b]consecrated to the Lord; they [c]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 (O)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 (P)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, (Q)as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, (R)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 (S)she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua [d]charged them at that time, saying, (T)“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.”

27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 6:11 spent the night
  2. Joshua 6:19 set apart
  3. Joshua 6:19 shall go
  4. Joshua 6:26 warned