The Defeat of Jericho
Joshua 6, verse 1. Jericho was enclosed and fortified, and no one went out of or into it. Joshua 6, verse 2. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Behold, I will deliver Jericho into your hand, its king and its army of soldiers who are mighty. Joshua 6, verse 3. But place your soldiers around it, Joshua 6, verse 4. and it shall come to pass that when you sound with the trumpet, let all the people shout together, and when they shout, the walls of the city shall fall by themselves; and all the people will enter, each rushing throughout the entire area of the city.” Joshua 6, verse 5. So Joshua the son of Nun went to the priests Joshua 6, verse 6. and he spoke to them, saying, “Command the people to go around and surround the city, and let the men of war pass on armed before the Lord. Joshua 6, verse 7. Let seven priests holding seven holy trumpets likewise pass by before the Lord, and let them signal vigorously; and let the ark of the covenant of the Lord follow after them. Joshua 6, verse 8. Let the men of war go in front; and let the priests be the rear guard behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord as they proceed, and sound the trumpets.” Joshua 6, verse 9. Now Joshua gave a command to the people, saying, “Do not shout, nor let anyone hear your voice, until the day I myself tell you to shout, and then shout.” Joshua 6, verse 10. So when the ark of the covenant of God went around the city, it immediately returned into the camp and lodged there. Joshua 6, verse 11. Then on the second day, Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Joshua 6, verse 12. Seven priests carried seven trumpets and went on before the Lord. The armed men followed after with the rest of the multitude behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Then the priests sounded the trumpets, and all the rest of the multitude encircled the city from close by, Joshua 6, verse 13. then again went back to the camp. They did this for six days. Joshua 6, verse 14. On the seventh day, they rose early in the morning and went around the city six times. Joshua 6, verse 15. Then it came to pass that as they marched around the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Shout, for indeed the Lord has handed over the city to you. Joshua 6, verse 16. For the city shall be accursed by the Lord, it and whatever is in it. However, preserve Rahab the harlot and whatever is in her house. Joshua 6, verse 17. But be very careful to keep yourself from what is accursed, lest you yourself consider to take from it what is accursed, and then you shall make the camp of the children of Israel a curse and destroy us. Joshua 6, verse 18. But all the silver, the gold, the bronze or the iron shall be holy to the Lord and brought in to the treasury of the Lord.” Joshua 6, verse 19. So the priests sounded the trumpets, and when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, all the people shouted together with a great and mighty shout. Then the entire wall fell round about, and all the people went into the city. Joshua 6, verse 20. Joshua put the city under a curse with the edge of the sword, and whatever was in it: from man to woman, from young man to old man, and from calf to donkey. Joshua 6, verse 21. Then Joshua said to the two young men who acted as spies, “Go into the house of the woman, and bring her out from there, and whatever she has.” Joshua 6, verse 22. So the two young men who had spied out the city went into the house of the woman and brought out Rahab the harlot, her father and mother, and her brothers and kindred, and all she possessed. They set her outside the camp of Israel, Joshua 6, verse 23. and the city, with everyone in it, was set on fire; but the silver, the gold, the bronze, and the iron they brought into the treasury of the Lord. Joshua 6, verse 24. Thus Joshua kept alive Rahab the harlot and all the house of her father, and caused her to dwell in Israel to this very day, because she hid the spies Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua 6, verse 25. Joshua adjured Israel on that day before the Lord, saying, “Cursed be the man who rebuilds that city. He shall lay its foundation in his firstborn son, and he shall set up its gates with his youngest son.” Thus did Hiel from Bethel. He laid its foundation in Abiram, his firstborn son, and he set up its gates with Segub, his youngest surviving son. Joshua 6, verse 26. So the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was known throughout all the land.