Joshua 6

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now, Jericho had shut and barricaded its gates (against the Israelites): no one came out and no onewent in.	1 Now Jericho was in a state of siege because of the presence of the Israelites, so that no one left or entered.
2 Yahweh then said to Joshua, 'Look, I am putting Jericho, its picked troops and its king, at your mercy.	2 And to Joshua the LORD said, "I have delivered Jericho and its king into your power.
3 Al you warriors must march round the city (go right round the city once, doing the same on sixsuccessive days.	3 Have all the soldiers circle the city, marching once around it. Do this for six days,
4 Seven priests must carry seven ram's-horn trumpets in front of the ark. On the seventh day, you wil goseven times round the city and the priests wil blow their trumpets).	4 with seven priests carrying ram's horns ahead of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, and have the priests blow the horns.
5 When the ram's horn sounds (when you hear the sound of the trumpet), the entire people must utter amighty war cry and the city wall wil col apse then and there; the people wil then go into the assault, each manstraight ahead.'	5 When they give a long blast on the ram's horns and you hear that signal, all the people shall shout aloud. The wall of the city will collapse, and they will be able to make a frontal attack."
6 Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and letseven priests carry seven ram's-horn trumpets ahead of the ark of Yahweh.'	6 Summoning the priests, Joshua, son of Nun, then ordered them to take up the ark of the covenant with seven of the priests carrying ram's horns in front of the ark of the LORD.
7 To the people he then said, 'Forward! March round the city, and let the vanguard march ahead of theark of Yahweh!'	7 And he ordered the people to proceed in a circle around the city, with the picked troops marching ahead of the ark of the LORD.
8 (Everything was done as Joshua had given orders to the people.) Seven priests, carrying seven ram's-horn trumpets ahead of Yahweh, moved forward blowing their trumpets; the ark of the covenant of Yahwehcame behind them,	8 At this order they proceeded, with the seven priests who carried the ram's horns before the LORD blowing their horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them.
9 the vanguard marched ahead of the priests, who blew their trumpets, the rearguard fol owed behind theark; the men marched, the trumpets sounded.	9 In front of the priests with the horns marched the picked troops; the rear guard followed the ark, and the blowing of horns was kept up continually as they marched.
10 Joshua had given the people the fol owing orders, 'Do not raise a war cry, do not let your voice be heard (not a word must pass your lips), until the day when I say, "Raise the war cry." That is when you mustraise the war cry.'	10 But the people had been commanded by Joshua not to shout or make any noise or outcry until he gave the word: only then were they to shout.
11 He made the ark go round the city (going round it once), then they went back to camp, where theyspent the night.	11 So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going once around it, after which they returned to camp for the night.
12 Joshua got up early, and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh.	12 Early the next morning, Joshua had the priests take up the ark of the LORD.
13 Carrying the seven ram's-horn trumpets, the seven priests walked ahead of the ark of Yahweh,blowing their trumpets as they went, while the vanguard marched ahead of them and the rearguard behind theark of Yahweh, and the march went on to the sound of the trumpet.	13 The seven priests bearing the ram's horns marched in front of the ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Ahead of these marched the picked troops, while the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, and the blowing of horns was kept up continually.
14 They marched once round the city (on the second day) and went back to camp; and so on for six days.	14 On this second day they again marched around the city once before returning to camp; and for six days in all they did the same.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched (in the same manner) round the city seventimes. (This was the only day when they marched round the city seven times.)	15 On the seventh day, beginning at daybreak, they marched around the city seven times in the same manner; on that day only did they march around the city seven times.
16 At the seventh time, the priests blew their trumpets and Joshua said to the people, 'Raise the war cry,for Yahweh has given you the city!	16 The seventh time around, the priests blew the horns and Joshua said to the people, "Now shout, for the LORD has given you the city
17 'The city and everyone in it must be devoted to Yahweh under the curse of destruction; the life ofRahab the prostitute alone must be spared, with al those with her in her house, since she hid the messengerswe sent.	17 and everything in it. It is under the LORD'S ban. Only the harlot Rahab and all who are in the house with her are to be spared, because she hid the messengers we sent.
18 But beware of the curse of destruction, yourselves, for fear that, moved by greed, you take somethinglying under the curse; that would put the camp of Israel under the same curse and bring disaster on it.	18 But be careful not to take, in your greed, anything that is under the ban; else you will bring upon the camp of Israel this ban and the misery of it.
19 All the silver and all the gold, everything made of bronze or iron, wil be consecrated to Yahweh andput in his treasury.'	19 All silver and gold, and the articles of bronze or iron, are sacred to the LORD. They shall be put in the treasury of the LORD."
20 The people raised the war cry, the trumpets sounded. When the people heard the sound of thetrumpet, they raised a mighty war cry and the wal col apsed then and there. At once the people stormed the city,each man going straight forward; and they captured the city.	20 As the horns blew, the people began to shout. When they heard the signal horn, they raised a tremendous shout. The wall collapsed, and the people stormed the city in a frontal attack and took it.
21 They enforced the curse of destruction on everyone in the city: men and women, young and old,including the oxen, the sheep and the donkeys, slaughtering them all.	21 They observed the ban by putting to the sword all living creatures in the city: men and women, young and old, as well as oxen, sheep and asses.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had reconnoitred the country, 'Go into the prostitute's house, andbring the woman out with al who belong to her, as you swore to her that you would.'	22 Joshua directed the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring out the woman with all her kin, as you swore to her you would do."
23 The young men who had been spies went and brought Rahab out, with her father and mother andbrothers and al who belonged to her. They brought out all her clansmen too, and put them in a place of safetyoutside the camp of Israel.	23 The spies entered and brought out Rahab, with her father, mother, brothers, and all her kin. Her entire family they led forth and placed them outside the camp of Israel.
24 They burned the city and everything inside it, except the silver, the gold and the things of bronze andiron; these they put into the treasury of Yahweh's house.	24 The city itself they burned with all that was in it, except the silver, gold, and articles of bronze and iron, which were placed in the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 But Rahab the prostitute, her father's family and al who belonged to her, these Joshua spared. She isstill living in Israel even today, for having hidden the messengers whom Joshua sent to reconnoitre Jericho.	25 Because Rahab the harlot had hidden the messengers whom Joshua had sent to reconnoiter Jericho, Joshua spared her with her family and all her kin, who continue in the midst of Israel to this day.
26 At that time Joshua made them take this oath before Yahweh: Accursed before Yahweh be the manwho rises up and rebuilds this city (Jericho)! On his first-born wil he lay its foundations, on his youngest son setup its gates!	26 On that occasion Joshua imposed the oath: Cursed before the LORD be the man who attempts to rebuild this city, Jericho. He shall lose his first-born when he lays its foundation, and he shall lose his youngest son when he sets up its gates.
27 So Yahweh was with Joshua, whose fame spread throughout the country.	27 Thus the LORD was with Joshua so that his fame spread throughout the land.