Joshua 6
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
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 best soldiers over to you.(A) 3 March round the city with all the men of war, circling the city once. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests to carry seven trumpets made of ram’s horns in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march round the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns.(B) 5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops 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 rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.’ 7 He said to the troops, ‘Move forward, march round the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.’
8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark.(C) 10 But Joshua had commanded the troops, ‘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 round 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 rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 14 On the second day they marched round 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 round the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched round the city seven times. 16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, ‘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.(D) Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,(E) because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you[b] take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for 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.’(F)
20 So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.(G) The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed(H) 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 swore to her.’(I) 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 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 family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel(J) today.(K)
26 At that time Joshua imposed this curse:
The man who undertakes
the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,
is cursed before the Lord.(L)
He will lay its foundation
at the cost of his firstborn;
he will finish its gates
at the cost of his youngest.(M)
27 And the Lord was with Joshua,(N) and his fame spread throughout the land.
Yehoshua 6
Orthodox Jewish Bible
6 Now Yericho was closely shut up because of the Bnei Yisroel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And Hashem said unto Yehoshua, See, I have given into thine yad Yericho, and the melech thereof, and the gibborei hechayil.
3 And ye shall march around the Ir, all ye anshei hamilchamah, and go around the Ir once. Thus shalt thou do sheshet yamim.
4 And shivah Kohanim shall bear before the Aron shivah shoferot hayovelim; and the Yom HaShevi’i ye shall march around the Ir sheva times, and the Kohanim shall sound the shoferot.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the keren hayovel, when ye hear the sound of the shofar, Kol HaAm shall shout with a teruah gedolah; and the Chomat HaIr shall fall down, and HaAm shall go up every ish charging straight in.
6 And Yehoshua ben Nun called the Kohanim, and said unto them, Take up the Aron HaBrit, and let shivah Kohanim bear shivah shoferot yovelim (seven ram-shofars) before the Aron Hashem.
7 And he ordered HaAm, Pass on, and march on the Ir, and let him that is armed pass on ahead of the Aron Hashem.
8 And it came to pass, when Yehoshua had spoken unto HaAm, that the shivah Kohanim bearing the shivah shoferot hayovelim passed on before Hashem, and sounded the shoferot; and the Aron Brit Hashem followed after them.
9 And the armed men marched ahead of the Kohanim that blew with the shoferot, and the rear guard came after the Aron, with the shoferot of the Kohanim going on sounding.
10 Yehoshua had commanded HaAm, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any davar proceed out of your mouth, until the Yom I tell you to shout; then shall ye shout.
11 So the Aron Hashem circled the Ir, going about it once; and they returned to the machaneh, and spent the night in the machaneh.
12 And Yehoshua rose early in the boker, and the Kohanim took up the Aron Hashem.
13 And shivah kohanim bearing shivah shoferot hayovelim before the Aron Hashem went on continually, and sounded the shoferot; and the armed men went before them; with the rearguard after the Aron Hashem, the Kohanim going on, and sounding the shoferot.
14 And the Yom HaSheni they circled the Ir once, and returned to the machaneh; so they did sheshet yamim.
15 And it came to pass on the Yom HaShevi’i, that they got up early about shachar, circled the Ir after the same manner sheva times; only on that Yom they marched around the Ir sheva p’amim.
16 And it came to pass on the Shevi’it, when the Kohanim sounded the shoferot, Yehoshua said unto HaAm, Shout; for Hashem hath given you the Ir.
17 And the Ir shall be cherem, even it, and all that are therein, to Hashem; only Rachav the zonah shall live, she and all that are with her in the bais, because she hid the malachim that we sent.
18 And ye, be shomer to keep yourselves from the cherem, lest ye make yourselves cherem, when ye take of the cherem, and make the Machaneh Yisroel cherem, and trouble it.
19 But all the kesef, zahav, and vessels of nechoshet and barzel, are kodesh unto Hashem; they shall come into the Otzar Hashem.
20 So HaAm shouted when the Kohanim sounded the shoferot; and it came to pass, when HaAm heard the kol (sound) of the shofar, and HaAm shouted with a teruah gedolah, that the chomah fell down, so that HaAm went up into the Ir, every ish straight before him, and they took the Ir.
21 And they utterly destroyed [devoted as cherem] all that was in the Ir, both ish and isha, na’ar and zaken, and shor, and seh, and chamor, with the edge of the cherev.
22 But Yehoshua had said unto the two anashim that had spied out HaAretz, Go into the bais haisha hazonah, and bring out from there the isha, and all that she hath, just as ye swore unto her.
23 And hane’arim (the young men) that were spies went in, and brought out Rachav, and her av, and her em, and her achim, and all that she had; and they brought out all her mishpechot, and put them outside the Machaneh Yisroel.
24 And they burned the Ir with eish, and all that was therein; only the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels of nechoshet and of barzel (iron), they put into the Otzar Bais Hashem.
25 And Yehoshua saved Rachav the zonah alive, and her Bais Avi, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Yisroel even unto this day; because she hid the malachim, which Yehoshua sent to spy out Yericho.
26 And Yehoshua made them take this shevu’ah, saying, Arur (cursed) be the ish before Hashem, that riseth up and rebuildeth this Ir Yericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof with his bechor, and with his tza’ir (youngest son) shall he set up the delatot (gates) thereof [See fulfillment 1Kgs 16:34].
27 So Hashem was with Yehoshua; and his fame was noised throughout kol HaAretz.
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