Joshua 6
Revised Geneva Translation
6 Now Jericho was shut up and closed because of the children of Israel. No one could go out or come in.
2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho and its king, the strong men of war, into your hand.
3 “Therefore, all of your men of war shall march around the city, encircling it once. You shall do this for six days.
4 “And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Ark. And the seventh day, you shall circle the city seven times. And the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 “And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout. Then the wall of the city shall fall down flat. And the people shall ascend, every man straight ahead.”
6 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.”
7 But he said to the people, “Go and circle the city. And let he who is armed go forth before the Ark of the LORD.”
8 And when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bore the seven trumpets of rams’ horns and went forth before the Ark of the LORD and blew the trumpets. And the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 And the men of arms went before the priests and blew the trumpets. Then, the gathering army came after the Ark; and they went and blew the trumpets.
10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall neither shout nor make any noise with your voice. Nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth until the day that I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
11 So the Ark of the LORD circled the city and went around it once. Then they returned into the camp and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and the priests bore the Ark of the LORD.
13 Also, seven priests bore seven trumpets of rams’ horns and went before the Ark of the LORD, blowing the trumpets; and the men of arms went before them. But the gathering army, came after the Ark of the LORD as they blew the trumpets.
14 And the second day, they circled the city once and returned into the camp. They did this for six days.
15 And when the seventh day came, they rose early with the dawning of the day and circled the city in the same way, seven times; only on that day did they circle the city seven times.
16 And when the priests had blown the trumpets the seventh time, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
17 “And the city shall be an accursed thing to the LORD, both it and all who are therein! Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house; for she hid the messengers whom we sent!
18 “Nevertheless, be aware of the accursed thing, lest you make yourselves accursed; and in taking of the accursed thing, you also make the army of Israel accursed and trouble it!
19 “But all silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron shall be consecrated to the LORD and shall come into the LORD’s treasury!”
20 So the people shouted, after they had blown trumpets. For when the people had heard the sound of the trumpets, they shouted with a great shout. And the wall fell down flat. So the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead; and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the cities—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 on the country, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman out, and all that she has, as you swore to her.”
23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all that she had. They also brought out all her family and put them outside the camp of Israel.
24 Afterward, they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein. But the silver and the gold and the vessels of bronze and iron they put into the treasury of the House of the LORD.
25 So Joshua saved Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all that she had; and she dwelt in Israel (even to this day) because she had hidden the messengers which Joshua sent to spy on Jericho.
26 And Joshua swore at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds the city Jericho. He shall pay for its foundation with his eldest son. And his youngest son shall be the price for setting up its gates.”
27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and he was famous through all the world.
Joshua 6
International Standard Version
Instructions for Joshua
6 Meanwhile, Jericho was fortified inside and out because of the Israelis. Nobody could leave or enter.
2 The Lord told Joshua, “Look! I have given Jericho over to your control,[a] along with its kings and valiant soldiers. 3 March around the city, all the soldiers circling the city once. Do this for six days, 4 with seven priests carrying in front of the ark seven trumpets made from rams’ horns. On the seventh day march around the city seven times while the priests blow their trumpets. 5 When they sound a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then the entire army is to cry out loud, the city wall will collapse, and then all of the soldiers are to charge straight ahead.”
The Destruction of Jericho
6 So Nun’s son Joshua called for the priests. “Pick up the Ark of the Covenant,” he told them, “and have seven priests carry seven trumpets made from rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.”
7 He told the army, “Go out and encircle the city. Have the armed men march out in front of the ark of the Lord.”
8 And so, just as Joshua had commanded, seven of the priests went forward, carrying the seven trumpets made of rams’ horns in the Lord’s presence, blowing the trumpets while the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 Armed men preceded the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and a rear guard followed the ark, while the trumpets continued to blow.
10 Joshua issued orders to the army: “You are not to shout or even let your voice be heard. Don’t utter a word until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So the ark of the Lord was taken once around the city, then they went back to camp and spent the night there.[b]
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests picked up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests who carried the seven trumpets made from rams’ horns preceded the ark of the Lord, blowing their trumpets constantly. The armed men preceded them, and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets continued to blow. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and then went back to camp. They did this for six days. 15 They rose early at dawn on the seventh day and marched around the city seven times, just as they had before, except that on that day only they marched around the city seven times.
16 As they completed the seventh time, after the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua told the army, “Shout, because the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city—along with everything in it—is to be turned over to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone who is with her in her house may live, because she hid the scouts we sent. 18 Now as for you, everything has been turned over for destruction. Don’t covet or take any of these things. Otherwise, you’ll make the camp of Israel itself an object worthy of destruction, and bring trouble on it. 19 But everything made of silver and gold, and vessels made of bronze and iron are set apart to the Lord. They are to go into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 So the army shouted and the trumpets were blown again. As soon as the army heard the sound of the trumpets, they shouted loudly and the wall collapsed. The army charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. 21 They turned over everyone in the city for destruction and executed them,[c] including both men and women, young and old, and oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
22 Joshua told the two men who had scouted the land, “Go into the prostitute’s home and bring her out of it, along with everyone who is with her, just as you promised her.” 23 So the young men who had been scouts went in and brought Rahab out, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone else who was with her. They brought her entire family out and set them outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then the army set fire to the city and to everything in it, except that they reserved the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron for the treasury of the Lord. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, along with her family and everyone who was with her. Her family[d] has lived in Israel ever since, because she hid the scouts whom Joshua sent to observe Jericho.
Joshua Curses the Rebuilding of Jericho
26 Then Joshua made everyone[e] take the following oath at that time. He said:
“Cursed in the presence of the Lord is the man
who restores and rebuilds this city of Jericho!
He will lay its foundation at the cost of[f] his firstborn,
and at the cost of[g] his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and as a result, Joshua’s[h] reputation spread throughout the land.
Footnotes
- Joshua 6:2 Lit. hand
- Joshua 6:11 Lit. night in the camp
- Joshua 6:21 Lit. by the edge of the
- Joshua 6:25 Lit. She
- Joshua 6:26 Lit. them
- Joshua 6:26 The Heb. lacks At the cost of
- Joshua 6:26 The Heb. lacks at the cost of
- Joshua 6:27 Lit. his
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