1The city of Jericho was completely shut down because of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.
2Yahweh said to Joshua, "Look, I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its brave soldiers."
3All your armed men will march around the city once. You will do this for six days.
4Seven priests will carry seven ram's horn trumpets in front of the Promise Chest. On the seventh day, you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow the trumpets.
5When they blow a long blast on the ram's horn, and you hear the trumpet sound, all the people should shout loudly. Then the city wall will collapse, and everyone will charge straight into the city.
6Joshua, Nun's son, called the priests and told them, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets made of rams’ horns in front of Yahweh’s ark.”
7They told the people, “Move forward! March around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of Yahweh’s ark.”
8So, when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets made of rams’ horns went forward in front of Yahweh and blew the trumpets. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant followed them.
9The armed men walked ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the ark followed them. The trumpets continued to sound as they marched.
10Joshua commanded the people, saying, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Do not say a single word until the day I tell you to shout. Only then should you shout.”
11So he had Yahweh’s ark carried around the city, going around it once. Then they returned to the camp and stayed there.
12Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up Yahweh’s ark.
13The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets made of rams’ horns continued to go in front of Yahweh’s ark and blow the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them, and the rear guard came after Yahweh’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they marched.
14On the second day, they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15On the seventh day, they woke up early at dawn and marched around the city in the same way, but this time they went around seven times. Only on this day did they march around the city seven times.
16The seventh time around, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua told the people, “Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city!
17The city and everything in it must be completely destroyed for Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute will be spared, along with everyone in her house, because she hid the messengers we sent.
18But be careful yourselves to stay away from anything set apart for destruction. If you take anything that is supposed to be destroyed, you will bring a curse and trouble upon the camp of Israel.
19However, all the silver, gold, and vessels made of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh. They must be placed in Yahweh’s treasury.”
20So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they let out a great shout, and the wall collapsed completely. Then the people went up into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.
21They completely destroyed everyone and everything in the city: men, women, young, old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. They killed them all with swords.
22Joshua told the two men who had explored the land, "Go to the prostitute's house, and bring her and everyone she has out of there, just as you promised her."
23The young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone she had. They also brought out all her relatives and put them safely outside the camp of Israel.
24They burned the city and everything in it. The only things they saved were the silver, gold, and vessels made of bronze and iron, which they put into the treasury of Yahweh's house.
25Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute, everyone in her father's household, and all her possessions. She lives among Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to scout out Jericho.
26At that time, Joshua made them take an oath, saying, "May the man who tries to rebuild this city, Jericho, be cursed before Yahweh. He will lay its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son, and he will set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son."
27So Yahweh was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.