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.”^{(A) 7} And he ordered the army, “Advance^(B)! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark^(C) 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^(D) 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!^(E)” 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.^{(F) 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!^{(G) 17} The city and all that is in it are to be devoted^[a](H) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute^(I) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid^(J) the spies we sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(K) 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^(L) and bring trouble^(M) on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(N) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded,^(O) the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,^(P) the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.^{(Q) 21} They devoted^(R) the city to the Lord and destroyed^(S) 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^(T) who had spied out^(U) 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.^(V)” 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.^(W) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

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

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

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

Jeremiah Buys a Field

32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth^(A) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth^(B) year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging^(C) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined^(D) in the courtyard of the guard^(E) in the royal palace of Judah.

³ Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy^(F) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture^(G) it. ⁴ Zedekiah^(H) king of Judah will not escape^(I) the Babylonians^[a](J) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. ⁵ He will take^(K) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,^(L) declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”^(M)

⁶ Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,^(N) because as nearest relative it is your right and duty^(O) to buy it.’

⁸ “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field^(P) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; ⁹ so I bought the field^(Q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[b] of silver.^{(R) 10} I signed and sealed the deed,^(S) had it witnessed,^(T) and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— ¹² and I gave this deed to Baruch^(U) son of Neriah,^(V) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

¹³ “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ¹⁴ ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed^(W) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’^(X)

¹⁶ “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch^(Y) son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

²⁶ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.^(BB) Is anything too hard for me?^{(BC) 28} Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar^(BD) king of Babylon, who will capture it.^{(BE) 29} The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,^(BF) along with the houses^(BG) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings^(BH) to other gods.^(BI)

³⁰ “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;^(BJ) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger^(BK) with what their hands have made,^(BL) declares the Lord. ³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city^(BM) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(BN) it from my sight. ³² The people of Israel and Judah have provoked^(BO) me by all the evil^(BP) they have done—they, their kings and officials,^(BQ) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. ³³ They turned their backs^(BR) to me and not their faces; though I taught^(BS) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.^{(BT) 34} They set up their vile images^(BU) in the house that bears my Name^(BV) and defiled^(BW) it. ³⁵ They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(BX) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,^(BY) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind^(BZ)—that they should do such a detestable^(CA) thing and so make Judah sin.^(CB)

³⁶ “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague^(CC) it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ³⁷ I will surely gather^(CD) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger^(CE) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.^{(CF) 38} They will be my people,^(CG) and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness^(CH) of heart and action, so that they will always fear^(CI) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant^(CJ) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire^(CK) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.^{(CL) 41} I will rejoice^(CM) in doing them good^(CN) and will assuredly plant^(CO) them in this land with all my heart and soul.^(CP)

⁴² “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity^(CQ) on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised^(CR) them. ⁴³ Once more fields will be bought^(CS) in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate^(CT) waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ ⁴⁴ Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds^(CU) will be signed, sealed and witnessed^(CV) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(CW) because I will restore^(CX) their fortunes,^[c] declares the Lord.”

Final Warnings

13 This will be my third visit to you.^(A) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”^{[a](B) 2} I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(C) On my return I will not spare^(D) those who sinned earlier^(E) or any of the others, ³ since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.^(F) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴ For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(G) yet he lives by God’s power.^(H) Likewise, we are weak^(I) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him^(J) in our dealing with you.

⁵ Examine yourselves^(K) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.^(L) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you^(M)—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶ And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. ⁷ Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ We are glad whenever we are weak^(N) but you are strong;^(O) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.^{(P) 10} This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh^(Q) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.^(R)

Final Greetings

¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters,^(S) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.^(T) And the God of love^(U) and peace^(V) will be with you.

¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.^{(W) 13} All God’s people here send their greetings.^(X)

¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(Y) and the love of God,^(Z) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit^(AA) be with you all.