Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Fall of Jericho

6 The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city. ² The Lord said to Joshua, “I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers. ³ You and your soldiers are to march around the city once a day for six days. ⁴ Seven priests, each carrying a trumpet, are to go in front of the Covenant Box. On the seventh day you and your soldiers are to march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. ⁵ Then they are to sound one long note. As soon as you hear it, all the people are to give a loud shout, and the city walls will collapse. Then the whole army will go straight into the city.”

⁶ Joshua called the priests and told them, “Take the Covenant Box, and seven of you go in front of it, carrying trumpets.” ⁷ Then he ordered the people to start marching around the city, with an advance guard going on ahead of the Lord's Covenant Box.

^8-9 So, just as Joshua had ordered, an advance guard started out ahead of the priests who were blowing trumpets; behind these came the priests who were carrying the Covenant Box, followed by a rear guard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. ¹⁰ But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order. ¹¹ So he had this group of men take the Lord's Covenant Box around the city one time. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there.

^12-13 Joshua got up early the next morning, and for the second time the priests and soldiers marched around the city in the same order as the day before: first, the advance guard; next, the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets; then, the priests carrying the Lord's Covenant Box; and finally, the rear guard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. ¹⁴ On this second day they again marched around the city one time and then returned to camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched seven times around the city in the same way—this was the only day that they marched around it seven times. ¹⁶ The seventh time around, when the priests were about to sound the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people to shout, and he said, “The Lord has given you the city! ¹⁷ The city and everything in it must be totally destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only the prostitute Rahab and her household will be spared, because she hid our spies. ¹⁸ But you are not to take anything that is to be destroyed; if you do, you will bring trouble and destruction on the Israelite camp. ¹⁹ Everything made of silver, gold, bronze, or iron is set apart for the Lord. It is to be put in the Lord's treasury.”

^20 (A)So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it. ²¹ With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

^29 (A)It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.

^30 (B)It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. ^31 (C)It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.

^32 (D)Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. ^33 (E)Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (F)put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. ^35 (G)Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. ^36 (H)Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. ^37 (I)They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats—poor, persecuted, and mistreated. ³⁸ The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, ⁴⁰ because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.

God Our Father

12 As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. ² Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.