The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6

1 Now a Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! b I have given Jericho into your hand, its c king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 "And seven priests shall bear seven d trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city e seven times, and f the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 "It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him." 6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." 7 And he said to the people, "Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD."

8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, g and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout." 11 So he had h the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and 1 lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, i and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.

15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 "Now the city shall be j doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only k Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because l she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 "And you, m by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, n and trouble it. 19 "But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are 2 consecrated to the LORD; they 3 shall come into the treasury of the LORD." 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that o the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they p utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, q as you swore to her." 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, r her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was 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 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So s she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua 4 charged them at that time, saying, t "Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates."

27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 2:1
    Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 2:9
    And said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
    Joshua 2:24
    And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.
    Joshua 8:1
    Now the LORD said to Joshua: "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:24
    And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven; no one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 25:9
    Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.
    Judges 7:16
    Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
    Judges 7:22
    When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:43
    And said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, " There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again.
    2 Kings 4:35
    He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
    2 Kings 5:10
    And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 10:8
    The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.
  7. Cross References
    Numbers 10:25
    Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 4:11
    Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:25
    That Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying:
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:17
    So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers.
    Joshua 7:1
    But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 2:1
    Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
    Matthew 1:5
    Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse.
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 2:4
    Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
    Joshua 2:6
    (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.)
  13. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:26
    Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.
  14. Cross References
    Joshua 7:1
    But the children of Israel committed a trespass...
    Joshua 7:12
    Therefore the children of Israel could not stan...
    Joshua 7:25
    And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The...
    1 Kings 18:17
    Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ah...
    1 Kings 18:18
    And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, b...
    Jonah 1:12
    And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me i...
  15. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:30
    By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:2
    And when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.
    Deuteronomy 20:16
    But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive.
    Deuteronomy 20:17
    But you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 2:12 - 19
    Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token.
    Hebrews 11:31
    By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
  18. Cross References
    Joshua 2:13
    "and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."
  19. Cross References
    Matthew 1:5
    Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 16:34
    In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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