Joshua 6

¹Now Jericho was closed as well as fortified, out of fear of the sons of Israel, and no one dared to depart or to enter.

²And the Lord said to Joshua: “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and all the strong men.

³Have all the warriors circle the city once each day; you shall do so for six days.

⁴Then, on the seventh day, the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used on the jubilee, and they shall precede the ark of the covenant. And you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.

⁵And when the voice of the trumpet sounds longer and with interruptions, and it increases in your ears, then all the people shall cry out together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the foundation, and they shall enter it, each from a place opposite where they are standing.”

⁶Then Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and he said to them, “Take the ark of the covenant, and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and advance before the ark of the Lord.”

⁷He also said to the people, “Go, and circle the city, armed, preceding the ark of the Lord.”

⁸And when Joshua had finished his words, and the seven priests sounded the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord,

⁹and all the armed soldiers went ahead, the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets grew louder everywhere.

¹⁰But Joshua had instructed the people, saying, “You shall not cry out, nor shall your voice be heard, and no word at all shall proceed from your mouth, until the day arrives on which I will say to you, ‘Cry out, and shout.’ ”

¹¹Thus, the ark of the Lord circled the city once each day, and returning to the camp, it remained there.

¹²And so, with Joshua, arising in the night, the priests took the ark of the Lord,

¹³and seven of them took the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and they preceded the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, and the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and they were blaring the trumpets.

¹⁴And they circled the city on the second day, once, and they returned to the camp. They did so for six days.

¹⁵Then, on the seventh day, rising at first light, they circled the city, just as had been ordered, seven times.

¹⁶And at the seventh circling, when the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua said to all of Israel: “Shout! For the Lord has delivered the city to you.

¹⁷And let this city be anathema, with all the things that are within it, before the Lord. May only Rahab the harlot live, with all who are with her in the house. For she hid the messengers whom we sent.

¹⁸But you must be careful that you do not touch any of those things, as you have been instructed, for then you would be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel would be under sin and would be troubled.

¹⁹But whatever gold and silver there will be, and vessels of brass or of iron, let these be consecrated to the Lord and be stored in his treasuries.”

²⁰Therefore, with all the people shouting, and the trumpets blaring, after the voice and the sound increased in the ears of the multitude, the walls promptly fell to ruin. And each one climbed up at the place which was opposite where he was. And they seized the city.

²¹And they put to death all who were in it, from man even to woman, from infant even to elder. Likewise, the oxen and sheep and donkeys, they struck down with the edge of the sword.

²²But Joshua said to the two men who had been sent to explore, “Enter the house of the harlot woman, and bring her out, and all the things that are hers, just as you assured her by oath.”

²³And the youths entered, and they led out Rahab, and her parents, also her brothers, and all her goods and kindred, and they caused them to dwell outside the camp.

²⁴Then they set fire to the city and all the things that were within it, except the gold and silver, and the vessels of brass or of iron, which they consecrated into the treasury of the Lord.

²⁵Yet truly, Joshua caused Rahab the harlot, and her father’s household, and all she had, to survive. And they lived in the midst of Israel, even to the present day. For she hid the messengers, whom he had sent to explore Jericho. At that time, Joshua made an invocation, saying:

²⁶“Cursed before the Lord is the man who will raise up and rebuild the city of Jericho! With his firstborn, may he lay its foundation, and with the last of his children, may he set up its gates.”

²⁷And so the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was made known throughout all the land.

Joshua 6

¹Now Jericho was close shut up and fenced, for fear of the children of Israel, and no man durst go out or come in.

²And the Lord said to Joshua: Behold I have given into thy hands Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the valiant men.

³Go round about the city all ye fighting men once a day: so shall ye do for six days.

⁴And on the seventh day the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and shall go before the ark of the covenant: and you shall go about the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.

⁵And when the voice of the trumpet shall give a longer and broken tune, and shall sound in your ears, all the people shall shout together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the ground, and they shall enter in every one at the place against which they shall stand.

⁶Then Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and said to them: Take the ark of the covenant: and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and march before the ark of the Lord.

⁷And he said to the people: Go, and compass the city, armed, marching before the ark of the Lord.

⁸And when Joshua had ended his words, and the seven priests blew the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord,

⁹And all the armed men went before, the rest of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets was heard on all sides.

¹⁰But Joshua had commanded the people, saying: You shall not shout, nor shall your voice be heard, nor any word go out of your mouth: until the day come wherein I shall say to you: Cry, and shout.

¹¹So the ark of the Lord went about the city once a day, and returning into the camp, abode there.

¹²And Joshua rising before day, the priests took the ark of the Lord,

¹³And seven of them seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee: and they went before the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets: and the armed men went before them, and the rest of the common people followed the ark, and they blew the trumpets.

¹⁴And they went round about the city the second day once, and returned into the camp. So they did six days.

¹⁵But the seventh day, rising up early, they went about the city, as it was ordered, seven times.

¹⁶And when in the seventh going about the priests sounded with the trumpets, Joshua said to all Israel: Shout: for the Lord hath delivered the city to you:

¹⁷And let this city be an anathema, and all things that are in it, to the Lord. Let only Rahab, the harlot, live, with all that are with her in the house: for she hid the messengers whom we sent.

¹⁸But beware ye lest you touch ought of those things that are forbidden, and you be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel be under sin, and be troubled.

¹⁹But whatsoever gold or silver there shall be, or vessels of brass and iron, let it be consecrated to the Lord, laid up in his treasures.

²⁰So all the people making a shout, and the trumpets sounding, when the voice and the sound thundered in the ears of the multitude, the walls forthwith fell down: and every man went up by the place that was over against him: and they took the city,

²¹And killed all that were in it, man and woman, young and old. The oxen also, and the sheep, and the asses, they slew with the edge of the sword.

²²But Joshua said to the two men that had been sent for spies: Go into the harlot's house, and bring her out, and all things that are hers, as you assured her by oath.

²³And the young men went in, and brought out Rahab, and her parents, her brethren also, and all her goods, and her kindred, and made them to stay without the camp.

²⁴But they burned the city, and all things that were therein; except the gold and silver, and vessels of brass and iron, which they consecrated unto the treasury of the Lord. _

²⁵But Joshua saved Rahab the harlot, and her father's house, and all she had, and they dwelt in the midst of Israel until this present day: because she hid the messengers whom he had sent to spy out Jericho. At that time, Joshua made an imprecation, saying:

²⁶Cursed be the man before the Lord, that shall raise up and build the city of Jericho. In his firstborn may he lay the foundation thereof, and in the last of his children set up its gates.

²⁷And the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was noised throughout all the land