Joshua 6 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Now Jericho had shut its gates tight because of the Israelites — no one was going out and no one was coming in.

Yahweh said to Joshua, "Look — I've handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and its best warriors."

March around the city with all your armed men — circle it once. Do this for six days.

Seven priests will carry seven rams' horn trumpets in front of the chest. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.

When you hear a long blast on the rams' horns, have the entire army let out a massive war cry. The city wall will collapse right where it stands, and every soldier will charge straight ahead.

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and told them, "Pick up the covenant chest. Have seven priests carry seven rams' horn trumpets and march in front of it."

And he told the army, "Move out! March around the city, and have the armed guard go ahead of the chest of Yahweh."

As soon as Joshua gave the order to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horn trumpets moved forward before Yahweh, blowing the trumpets, with the covenant chest of Yahweh following behind them.

The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard followed behind the chest. The trumpets kept blowing the whole time.

Now Joshua had given the army a strict order: "Don't shout, don't even raise your voices, don't let a single word come out of your mouths until the day I tell you to shout. Then you'll shout."

So the chest of Yahweh circled the city, going around it once. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there.

Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests picked up the chest of Yahweh.

The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horn trumpets marched ahead of the chest of Yahweh, blowing the trumpets as they went. The armed guard went ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the chest of Yahweh, with the trumpets blowing the whole time.

On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to camp. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city the same way — except this time they circled the city seven times. That was the only day they circled it seven times.

On the seventh time around, as the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua shouted to the army: "Shout! Because Yahweh has given you this city!"

"The city and everything in it are to be completely destroyed as an offering to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in her house will be spared, because she hid the scouts we sent."

"But you — stay away from the things set apart for destruction, or you'll bring destruction on yourselves. If you take any of it, you'll bring disaster and trouble on the whole Israelite camp."

"All the silver and gold, and every bronze and iron item, are set apart for Yahweh. They go into Yahweh's treasury."

So the army shouted, and the trumpets blew. When the people heard the trumpet blast, they let out a massive war cry — and the wall collapsed. Every soldier charged straight ahead, and they captured the city.

They completely destroyed everything in the city as an offering to Yahweh — men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys — all of it put to the sword.

Joshua told the two men who had scouted the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out with everyone she has, just as you promised her."

So the young scouts went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone else who belonged to her. They brought out her whole extended family and settled them in a safe place outside the Israelite camp.

Then they burned the entire city and everything in it. The only things they didn't burn were the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items — those went into the treasury of Yahweh's house.

But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, along with her father's household and everyone who belonged to her. She has lived among Israel to this day, because she hid the scouts that Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

At that time Joshua declared this solemn oath: "Cursed before Yahweh is anyone who rebuilds this city of Jericho. He will lay the foundation at the cost of his firstborn son, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest."

Yahweh was with Joshua, and his reputation spread across the whole land.