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Jericho was securely shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 You are to march around the city with all the men of war, circling one time. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. But on the seventh day you are to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing trumpets. 5 When they make a long blast with the rams’ horns, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up, every man straight ahead.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 Then he said to the people, “Move forward and march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward and sounded the trumpets, and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went in front of the priests who sounded the trumpets, and the rearguard went behind the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “You must not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall a word proceed from your mouth, until the day I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” 11 So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. Then all the people went back to the camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua rose early the next morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns went in front of the ark of the Lord, blowing their trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them, and the rearguard went behind the ark of the Lord, while the priests sounded the trumpets continually. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they rose early, around daybreak, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. It was only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 After the seventh time, the priests sounded the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and everything in it will be set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in the house shall be spared, because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 As for you, keep away from the things set apart, or you will also become set apart for destruction. If you take any of the things set apart, you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel, and make it liable to destruction. 19 But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord. They must go into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When the people heard the blast of the trumpets, they gave a great shout and the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’ s house and bring out the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her that you would.” 23 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 her entire family, and left them outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the city and everything in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the House of the Lord. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men whom Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho, and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 Joshua imposed a solemn oath on them at that time, saying,
“Cursed before the Lord is the man
who undertakes to rebuild this city Jericho!
At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations,
and at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.