The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6

1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the sons of Israel; no one went out, and no one came in. 2 But the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given Jericho and its king into thy hand, with its mighty men of valour. 3 Therefore, ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, going round about the city once; and thou shalt do this six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven shofarot {or rams horns} of jubilee; and the seventh day ye shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the shofarot. 5 And when they make a long sound of jubilee with the horn so that ye hear the voice of the shofar, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat; then the people shall ascend up each man straight before him. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven shofarot of jubilee before the ark of the LORD. 7 And he said unto the people, Pass on and compass the city and let those that are armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.

8 And when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven shofarot of jubilee passed on before the LORD and blew with the shofarot; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the shofarot, and the congregation came after the ark, the priests going on and blowing with the shofarot. 10 And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, Shout; then ye shall shout. 11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven shofarot of jubilee before the ark of the LORD walked continually, and blew with the shofarot; and the armed men went before them; but the congregation came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on and blowing with the shofarot. 14 Likewise the second day they compassed the city once and returned into the camp; so they did for six days.

15 And on the seventh day they rose early about the dawning of the day and compassed the city after the same manner seven times; only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And when the priests had blown the shofarot the seventh time, Joshua said unto the people, Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. 17 And the city shall be anathema unto the LORD, even it, and all the things that are in it; only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But keep yourselves from the anathema, that ye not touch nor take any thing of the anathema so that ye not make the camp of Israel anathema and trouble it. 19 For all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. 20 Then the people shouted when the priests blew with the shofarot, and it came to pass when the people heard the voice of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.

22 But Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman out of there with all that she has, as ye swore unto her. 23 And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and put them outside in the camp of Israel. 24 And they burnt the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 And Joshua gave Rahab, the harlot, her life and also to her father’s household and to all that she had; and she dwells in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD that rises up and builds this city Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame went throughout all the land.

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