Shared Word Translation
Joshua 6
Jericho Is Shut Up
Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. The LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty warriors. You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days. Seven priests shall carry seven ram’s horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the horns. When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the horn, all the people shall shout with a great shout. Then the wall of the city shall fall beneath itself, and the people shall go up, each straight ahead.”
Israel Marches Around the City
So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven ram’s horns before the ark of the LORD.” He said to the people, “Pass on and march around the city, and let the armed men pass before the ark of the LORD.” When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven ram’s horns before the LORD passed on and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. The armed men went before the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark while the horns continued sounding. Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall any word go out of your mouth until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going around it once. Then they entered the camp and spent the night in the camp. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven ram’s horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, continually blowing the horns. The armed men went before them, and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns continued sounding. On the second day they circled the city once and returned to the camp. Thus they did six days.
The Seventh Day
On the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and circled the city in the same manner seven times. Only on that day did they circle the city seven times. At the seventh time, when the priests blew the horns, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to destruction for the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But as for you, keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest you desire and take from what is devoted and make the camp of Israel itself devoted to destruction and bring trouble upon it. All the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”
Jericho Falls
So the people shouted, and the priests blew the horns. When the people heard the sound of the horn, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell beneath itself. The people went up into the city, each straight ahead, and they captured the city. They devoted to destruction all that was in the city, from man to woman, from young to old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
Rahab Is Spared
Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “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, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out all her clan and placed them outside the camp of Israel. They burned the city with fire and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all who belonged to her Joshua preserved alive. She has lived in the midst of Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua Curses the Rebuilding of Jericho
Joshua made them swear at that time, saying:
“Cursed before the LORD
is the man who rises
and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
At the cost of his firstborn
he shall lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest
he shall set up its gates.”
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was throughout all the land.