| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. | 1Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. |
| 2And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. | 2But the LORD said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. |
| 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. | 3You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. |
| 4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. | 4Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. |
| 5And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.” | 5When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” |
| 6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.” | 6So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” |
| 7And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” | 7Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD.” |
| 8After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. | 8After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed behind them. |
| 9While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark. | 9Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. |
| 10But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!” | 10“Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” |
| 11So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there. | 11So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. |
| 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD. | 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. |
| 13And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding. | 13The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. |
| 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. | 14On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. |
| 15Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times. | 15On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. |
| 16After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! | 16The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the town! |
| 17Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent. | 17Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. |
| 18But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it. | 18“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. |
| 19For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.” | 19Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.” |
| 20So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it. | 20When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. |
| 21At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. | 21They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. |
| 22Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.” | 22Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” |
| 23So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. | 23The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. |
| 24Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. | 24Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD’s house. |
| 25And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day. | 25So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. |
| 26At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” | 26At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” |
| 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. | 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. |
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