1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because the people were afraid of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in.

2 Jehovah said to Joshua: »See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king there, and the mighty men of valor.

3 »March around the city with all your armed men. Go around the city once per day for six days.

4 »Seven priests will carry before you seven trumpets of rams’ horns along with the Ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times. The priests shall blow the trumpets.

5 »When you hear a long blast with the ram’s horn, all the people will shout with a great shout. The wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up, every man straight in to the city.«

6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them: »Take up the Ark of the Covenant. Seven priests should carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Ark of Jehovah.«

7 He said to the people: »Pass on, and circle the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the Ark of Jehovah.«

8 As soon as Joshua spoke to the people the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed before Jehovah. They blew the trumpets and the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah followed them.

9 The armed men marched ahead of the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the Ark. All the time the priests kept blowing the trumpets.

10 Joshua commanded the people, saying: »You will not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither will any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout. Then you will shout.«

11 So the Ark of Jehovah went around the city one time. They came to the camp, and stayed in the camp.

12 Joshua rose early in the morning. The priests picked up the Ark of Jehovah.

13 Seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew with the trumpets. The armed men went before them. The rear guard followed the Ark of Jehovah. The priests were blowing the trumpet.

14 And the second day they went around the city once, and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 They rose early at dawn on the seventh day. They circled the city in the same manner. Only on that day they went around the city seven times.

16 On the seventh time when the priest blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people: »Shout for Jehovah has given you the city.

17 »The city and everything in it will be destroyed. It belongs to Jehovah. Only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house will live. Because she hid the messengers we sent.

18 »You people must stay away from anything devoted to destruction. You should not take things from the city. You will cause trouble for the camp of Israel is you take of the accursed things.

19 »All the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to Jehovah. They must come into the treasury of Jehovah.«

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat. The people went into the city, every man straight ahead. They captured the city.

21 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 Joshua said to the two men that had spied out the country: »Go into the harlot’s house, and bring the woman out as you swore to her.«

23 The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, mother, and her brothers and all that she had. They brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.

24 They burned the city and all its contents. They put the silver, gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron into the treasury of the house of Jehovah.

25 Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had. She dwells in Israel even to this day because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Joshua pronounced an oath at that time, saying: »Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that rises up and builds this city Jericho. He will lay the foundation at the cost of his firstborn. He will set up the gates at the cost of his youngest son.«

27 Jehovah was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the country.