1 Now Jericho was
straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went
out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine
hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round
about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets
of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city
seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast
with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall
of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend
up every man straight before him.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto
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 unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city,
and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people,
that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns
passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the
ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the
trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going
on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not
shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any
word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout;
then shall ye shout.
11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it
once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took
up the ark of the LORD.
13 And 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 rereward came after
the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with
the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned
into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early
about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the
same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the
city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests
blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout;
for the LORD hath given you the city.
17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are
therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she
and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the
messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing,
lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed
thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron,
are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury
of the LORD.
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets:
and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the
trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the
wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city,
every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both
man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with
the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the
country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the
woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought Rahab,
and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that
she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them
without the camp of Israel.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein:
only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and
of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's
household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel
even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua
sent to spy out Jericho.
26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the
man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho:
he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in
his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout
all the country.
Chapter 7
1 But the children
of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan,
the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the
tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of
the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven,
on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go
up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all
the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go
up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither;
for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand
men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men:
for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim,
and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the
people melted, and became as water.
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his
face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the
elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at
all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been
content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs
before their enemies!
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall
hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name
from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest
thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant
which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed
thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have
put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because
they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except
ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against
to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an
accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not
stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed
thing from among you.
14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to
your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD
taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the
family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and
the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed
thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because
he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he
hath wrought folly in Israel.
16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel
by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family
of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man
by man; and Zabdi was taken:
18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son
of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, was taken.
19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory
to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and
tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned
against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment,
and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty
shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold,
they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver
under it.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and,
behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought
them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid
them out before the LORD.
24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of
Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold,
and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses,
and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought
them unto the valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall
trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones,
and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this
day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore
the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto
this day.
Chapter 8
1 And the LORD
said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all
the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I
have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and
his city, and his land:
2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho
and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof,
shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush
for the city behind it.
3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against
Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour,
and sent them away by night.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait
against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from
the city, but be ye all ready:
5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach
unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out
against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them
from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at
the first: therefore we will flee before them.
7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the
city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall
set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD
shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in
ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of
Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the
people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the
people to Ai.
11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with
him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched
on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them
and Ai.
12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie
in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that
was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the
west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the
valley.
14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they
hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against
Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed,
before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush
against him behind the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before
them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16 And all the people that were in Ai were called together to
pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn
away from the city.
17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not
out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after
Israel.
18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that
is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand.
And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward
the city.
19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they
ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered
into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and,
behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they
had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that
fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken
the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they
turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
22 And the other issued out of the city against them; so they
were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on
that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them
remain or escape.
23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying
all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein
they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge
of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites
returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and
women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched
out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants
of Ai.
27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for
a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD
which he commanded Joshua.
28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a
desolation unto this day.
29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and
as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should
take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering
of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones,
that remaineth unto this day.
30 Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in
mount Ebal,
31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of
Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an
altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron:
and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and
sacrificed peace offerings.
32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses,
which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their
judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the
priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them;
half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over
against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded
before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings
and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of
the law.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua
read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women,
and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant
among them. |