Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people
of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to
Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king
and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the
men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six
days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before
the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven
times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make
a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the
trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and
the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go
up, everyone straight before him.” So Joshua the son of Nun called
the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and
let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark
of the LORD.” And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around
the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD.”
And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests
bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went
forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the
LORD following them. The armed men were walking before the priests
who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after
the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. But Joshua commanded
the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither
shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to
shout. Then you shall shout.” So he caused the ark of the LORD to
circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp
and spent the night in the camp.
Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up
the ark of the LORD. And the seven priests bearing the seven
trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, and
they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking
before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the
LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. And the second day they
marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they
did for six days.
On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and
marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only
on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at
the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua
said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.
And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD
for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her
in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we
sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to
destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the
devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction
and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every
vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into
the treasury of the LORD.” So the people shouted, and the trumpets
were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet,
the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so
that the people went up into the city, every man straight before
him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city
to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and
donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go
into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and
all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who
had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and
mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought
all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they
burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver
and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the
treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her
father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive.
And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the
messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before
the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
“At the cost of his firstborn shall he
lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son
shall he set up its gates.”
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the
land.
