The Walls of Jericho

1And Jericho was tightly shut up because of the sons of Israel. None went out, and none came in.

2And YHWH said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho and its king—mighty ones of valor. 3And you⁺ shall march around the city, all you men of war, going all around the city one time. This you shall do for six days. 4And seven priests shall bear the seven shofars of rams before the face of the ark. And the seventh day you⁺ shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow on the shofars. 5And it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the horn of the ram, in your⁺ hearing the voice of the shofar, that all the people shall shout with a great shout. And the wall of the city shall fall down flat,† and the people will go up, every man straight before him.†”

6And Joshua son of Nun called to the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven shofars of rams before the face of the ark of YHWH.”

7And he said to the people, “Pass over and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the face of the ark of YHWH.”

8And it was, when had spoken Joshua to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven shofars of rams before the face of YHWH passed over and blew on the shofars—and the ark of the covenant of YHWH followed them. 9And the armed ones went before the face of the priests who blew the shofars, and the rear guard came after the ark—going on and blowing on the shofars.

10And the people Joshua had commanded, saying, “You⁺ shall not shout, nor make your⁺ voice heard, nor shall proceed out of your⁺ mouth a word until the day I say to you⁺ to shout. Then you⁺ shall shout.” 11And the ark of YHWH compassed the city, going around it one time, and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

12And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of YHWH. 13And the seven priests bearing the seven shofars of rams before the face of the ark of YHWH kept marching and blowing on the shofars—and the armed men went before their faces, and the rear guard came after the ark of YHWH—going on and blowing on the shofars. 14And they marched around the city the second day one time and returned to the camp. Thus they did for six days.

15And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in this manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16And it came to pass the seventh time, the priests having blown on the shofars, that Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For YHWH has given to you⁺ the city. 17And the city shall be devoted to destruction,† it and all who are in it, by YHWH. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18And surely you⁺ keep away from a devoted thing, lest you⁺ become accursed, and you⁺ take from a devoted thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19And all the silver, and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to YHWH. It shall enter into the treasury of YHWH.”

20And the people shouted. And they blew on the shofars, and it came to pass when heard the people the voice of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat. And the people went up into the city, a man straight before him, and they took the city. 21And they devoted to destruction all that was in the city—from man and to woman, from young and to old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey—with the mouth of the sword.

22And to the two men who had spied out the country, Joshua had said, “Go into the house of the woman, the prostitute, and bring out from there the woman and all that is unto her, as you⁺ swore to her.” 23And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all that was unto her. And all her relatives they brought out and placed them at the outside of the camp of Israel.

24And the city they burned with the fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and the gold, and the vessels of the bronze and the iron, they put into the treasury of the house of YHWH. 25And Rahab the prostitute and the house of her father and all that was unto her, Joshua spared; and she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho.

26And Joshua charged them at that time, saying,

“Cursed be the man before the face of YHWH

who rises up and builds this city, Jericho.

With his firstborn

he shall lay its foundation

and with his youngest

he shall set up its gates.†”

27And YHWH was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the land.

Footnotes:

5 Or fall under itself or clooapse; similarly in verse 20
5 That is, staight into the city; similarly in verse 20
17 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to YHWH, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in verses 18 and 21.
26 See 1 Kings 16:34.