Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Destruction of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out, and no one came in. ² And Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with ^(A)its king and the valiant warriors. ³ And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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.”

⁶ 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.” ⁷ 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.” ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

²⁹ By faith they ^(A)passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[a]drowned.

³⁰ By faith ^(B)the walls of Jericho fell down ^(C)after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(D)Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after welcoming the spies ^[b]in peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount ^(E)Gideon, ^(F)Barak, ^(G)Samson, ^(H)Jephthah, as well as ^(I)David and ^(J)Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith ^(K)conquered kingdoms, ^(L)performed righteousness, ^(M)obtained promises, ^(N)shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (O)quenched the power of fire, ^(P)escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, ^(Q)became mighty in war, ^(R)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (S)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[c]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[d]experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also ^(T)chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were ^(U)stoned, they were ^(V)sawn in two, ^[e]they were tempted, they were ^(W)put to death with the sword. They went about ^(X)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ^(Y)mistreated ³⁸ (of whom the world was not worthy), ^(Z)wandering in desolate places and mountains and caves and holes ^[f]in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having ^[g](AA)gained approval through their faith, ^(AB)did not receive ^[h]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[i]provided ^(AC)something better for us, so that ^(AD)apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of Faith

12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, ^(AE)laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us ^(AF)run with ^(AG)endurance the race that is set before us, ^2 [j]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the ^[k](AH)author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(AI)endured the cross, ^(AJ)despising the shame, and has ^(AK)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.