The Walls of Jericho 1 UDB Now every gate of the city of Jericho was shut tight because the people were afraid of the army of Israel. No one could enter or leave the city. BSB BSB: Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 UDB Yahweh said to Joshua, "See what I am doing! I am giving Jericho to you. It will be yours—the city along with its king and all its brave soldiers. BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
3 UDB You will march around the city, one time all the way around it. All the brave soldiers will go around it one time each day for six days. BSB BSB: March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.
4 UDB Tell seven priests to march around with them. They will each carry a trumpet as they march before the sacred chest of Yahweh. On the seventh day, the army must march around the city seven times, and the priests must play the trumpets with a loud blast of sound while they march. BSB BSB: Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
5 UDB After they have all marched around the city seven times, the priests must make a very long blast with their ram's horn trumpets. When the people of Israel hear that, they must shout very loudly, and the city wall will collapse. Then every soldier must advance straight into the city." BSB BSB: And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”
6 UDB So Joshua summoned the priests and said to them, "Tell four priests to carry Yahweh's sacred chest, and tell the priests to carry seven trumpets made from ram's horns, and let them go in front of the sacred chest of Yahweh." BSB BSB: So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
7 UDB And he told the people, "Go on and march around the city and let the armed men go ahead of Yahweh's sacred chest." BSB BSB: And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”
8 UDB Just as Joshua commanded his army, the seven priests—each one carrying a trumpet—marched as Yahweh had directed them. As they walked around the city, the priests gave a blast on their trumpets. The ones who carried Yahweh's sacred chest followed them. BSB BSB: After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 UDB The armed soldiers marched in front of the priests who were blowing on their trumpets. When the rest of the soldiers followed the chest, while they were all marching, the priests kept blowing their trumpets. BSB BSB: While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark.
10 UDB But the rest of the people were silent because Joshua had commanded them, saying, "Do not make a war cry. Do not yell or say even one word until the day when I tell you to shout. On that day, you must shout!" BSB BSB: But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!”
11 UDB So the men carrying Yahweh's sacred chest and all the others did what Joshua told them to do. They marched around the city once each day. Then they all returned to the camp and stayed there at night. BSB BSB: So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 UDB The next morning, Joshua and the priests got up early and picked up Yahweh's sacred chest. BSB BSB: Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.
13 UDB The seven priests who were carrying trumpets made of rams horns went in front of the men carrying the sacred chest. They gave loud blasts from their trumpets as they marched. The soldiers walked in front of them and the rear guard of the army followed the sacred chest of Yahweh. Again, the priests kept blowing their trumpets. BSB BSB: And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.
14 UDB So on that second day, once again they marched around the city one time and then returned to the camp. They did the same thing for six days. BSB BSB: So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 UDB On the seventh day, they got up at dawn; they all marched around the city the same way that they had done before, but this time they marched around the city seven times. BSB BSB: Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.
16 UDB As they were marching around the seventh time, when the priests were about to sound the long blast on their trumpets, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! because Yahweh is giving this city to you! BSB BSB: After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
17 UDB Yahweh has declared that you must destroy the city and everything in it to show that it belongs to him. Only Rahab the prostitute will live—and all who are in her house with her—because she hid the spies we sent. BSB BSB: Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.
18 UDB And because Yahweh has declared that everything must be destroyed, you must not take any of the things in the city. If you take anything, you will cause Yahweh to destroy the camp of Israel and bring trouble to it. BSB BSB: But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.
19 UDB But all the silver and gold and articles made from iron and bronze that you find, you must set apart for Yahweh. You must put those things in his treasury." BSB BSB: For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”
21 UDB They killed every living thing in the city—men and women, young people and old people, even cattle and sheep and donkeys. BSB BSB: With the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
22 UDB Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied on the land, "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring her out, along with all her family, just as you solemnly promised to her." BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”
23 UDB So, the young men who had examined the land went and brought Rahab out. They brought out her father, mother, brothers, and all the relatives that were with her. They brought them to a place outside the camp of Israel. BSB BSB: So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
25 UDB But Joshua allowed Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and everyone with her to live. Her descendants live in Israel to this day because she hid the spies that Joshua sent to spy on Jericho, and they promised to spare her life. BSB BSB: And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.
26 UDB At that time, Joshua declared this very solemnly: "May Yahweh curse anyone who rebuilds this city, Jericho. When that person lays its foundation, may his oldest son die. And when he finishes building the city wall and sets up its gates, may his youngest son die." BSB BSB: At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 UDB Yahweh was with Joshua, and everyone in the land knew who Joshua was. BSB BSB: So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.