Joshua 5; Joshua 6; Joshua 7; Joshua 8

1 All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and all the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea heard that the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. So they lost heart and had no courage left to face the people of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD spoke to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise the men of Israel."

3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the men of Israel at the Hill of Circumcision.

4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the soldiers had died on the way through the desert after they left Egypt.

5 The men who left Egypt had been circumcised. However, the men born later, on the way through the desert, were not circumcised.

6 For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed the LORD. The LORD swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which he had sworn to give our ancestors.

7 The sons who took their place had not been circumcised on the way. So Joshua circumcised them.

8 When all the men had been circumcised, they remained in the camp until they recovered.

9 The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the disgrace of Egypt from you." So Joshua named the place Gilgal, the name it still has today.

10 The people of Israel camped at Gilgal in the Jericho plain. There they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.

11 On the day after the Passover, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain.

12 The day after that, the manna stopped. The people of Israel never had manna again. That year they began to eat the crops that grew in Canaan.

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you one of us or one of our enemies?"

14 He answered, "Neither one! I am here as the commander of the LORD's army." Immediately, Joshua bowed with his face touching the ground and worshiped. He asked, "Sir, what do you want to tell me?"

15 The commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy." So Joshua did as he was told.

1 Jericho was bolted and barred shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.

2 The LORD said to Joshua, "I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you.

3 All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days.

4 Seven priests will carry rams' horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns.

5 When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city."

6 Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, "Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns ahead of the LORD's ark."

7 He told the troops, "March around the city. Let the armed men march ahead of the LORD's ark."

8 After Joshua had given orders to the troops, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns ahead of the LORD marched off as they blew their horns. The ark of the LORD's promise followed them.

9 The armed men went ahead of the priests, who blew their horns. The rear guard followed the ark while the priests continued to blow their horns.

10 Joshua ordered the troops, "Don't shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

11 So the LORD's ark went around the city once. Then they went back to the camp and stayed there for the night.

12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests carried the LORD's ark.

13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the LORD's ark while the horns blew continually.

14 They went around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times the same way they had done it before. That was the only day they marched around it seven times.

16 When they went around the seventh time, the priests blew their rams' horns. Joshua said to the troops, "Shout, because the LORD has given you the city!

17 The city has been claimed by the LORD. Everything in it belongs to the LORD. Only the prostitute Rahab and all who are in the house with her will live because she hid the messengers we sent.

18 But stay away from what has been claimed by the LORD for destruction, or you, too, will be destroyed by the LORD. If you take anything that is claimed by the LORD, you will bring destruction and disaster on the camp of Israel.

19 All the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron are holy and belong to the LORD. They must go into the LORD's treasury."

20 So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams' horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city.

21 They claimed everything in it for the LORD. With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

22 But Joshua said to the two spies, "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring the woman out, along with everything she has, as you swore you would do for her."

23 The spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, everything she had, and even all of her relatives. They gave them a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron into the LORD's treasury.

25 Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab, her father's family, and everything she had. She still lives in Israel today because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to look at Jericho.

26 At that time Joshua pronounced this curse: "The LORD will curse whoever comes to rebuild the city of Jericho. It will cost him his firstborn son to lay the foundation. It will cost him his youngest son to set up the city doors."

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

1 The people of Israel proved to be disloyal about the things claimed by the LORD. Achan, son of Carmi, grandson of Zabdi, great-grandson of Zerah, and a member of the tribe of Judah, took something that had been claimed by the LORD. So the LORD became angry with the people of Israel.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai is near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He said to them, "Go, look at that country." So the men went and looked at Ai.

3 They came back to Joshua and told him, "You don't need to send all the troops. Only about two or three thousand men are needed to destroy Ai. Don't tire the troops out by sending all of them. There are only a few troops in Ai."

4 So about three thousand men were sent. However, they fled from the men of Ai.

5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the city gate to the slope of the stone quarries. Israel's troops lost heart and were scared stiff.

6 Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes in grief. They put dust on their heads and bowed down to the ground in front of the LORD's ark. They stayed there until evening.

7 Joshua said, "Almighty LORD, why did you bring these people across the Jordan River? Was it to hand us over to the Amorites so that they could destroy us? I wish we had been content to live on the other side of the Jordan!

8 Lord, what else can I say after Israel ran away from its enemy?

9 When the Canaanites and everyone who lives in the land hears about it, they will surround us and remove every memory of us from the earth. What will you do then so that your great name [will be remembered]?"

10 The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! What are you doing bowing on the ground?

11 Israel has sinned. They have ignored the requirements that I have placed on them. They have taken what I claimed for myself and put it among their own goods. They have not only stolen, but they have also lied.

12 "The people of Israel will not be able to defend themselves against their enemies. They will run away from their enemies because the people of Israel are now claimed for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy what I have claimed for myself.

13 "Get up! Tell the people, 'Get ready for tomorrow by performing the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. This is what the LORD God of Israel says: You have what I claimed for myself, Israel. You will not be able to defend yourselves against your enemies until you get rid of what I have claimed.

14 In the morning come forward by tribes [to the tent of meeting]. The tribe the LORD selects will come forward by families. Then the family the LORD selects will come forward by households, and the household the LORD selects will come forward man by man.

15 The man who is selected, along with everything he has, must be burned because he has [stolen] what the LORD has claimed. He has ignored the LORD's requirements and done a godless thing in Israel.'"

16 Joshua got up early in the morning. He had Israel come forward by tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.

17 Then he had the families of Judah come forward, and the family of Zerah was selected. Then he had the family of Zerah come forward man by man, and Zabdi was selected.

18 Then he had Zabdi's household come forward man by man, and Achan was selected. Achan from the tribe of Judah was the son of Carmi, grandson of Zabdi, and great-grandson of Zerah.

19 Joshua said to Achan, "Son, give honor and praise to the LORD God of Israel! Tell me what you have done. Don't hide anything from me."

20 Then Achan answered Joshua, "It's true. I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel. This is what I did:

21 I saw a fine robe from Babylonia, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing about one pound among the loot. I wanted them, so I took them. You will find them buried inside my tent with the silver beneath them."

22 Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. The loot was buried inside with the silver beneath it.

23 They took the loot from the tent and brought it to Joshua and all the people of Israel. Then they laid it out in the presence of the LORD.

24 Joshua and all Israel took Achan (son of Zerah), the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, and his tent--everything he had--and brought them to the valley of Achor [Disaster].

25 Then Joshua said, "Why did you bring this disaster on us? The LORD will bring disaster on you today!" And all Israel stoned Achan and his family to death. Then they burned the bodies and piled stones over them.

26 They made such a large pile of stones over Achan that it is still there today. Then the LORD withdrew his burning anger. For this reason that place is still called the valley of Achor today.

1 The LORD said to Joshua, "Don't be terrified or afraid. Take all the troops with you, and march against Ai. I am about to hand the king of Ai, his people, city, and land over to you.

2 You will do the same thing to Ai and its king that you did to Jericho and its king. However, you may take its loot and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city."

3 So Joshua and all the soldiers started to march against Ai. Joshua picked 30,000 of his best soldiers and sent them out at night

4 with these orders: "Set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far away from the city. Everyone must be ready.

5 I'll approach the city with the rest of the troops. When they come out to attack us as they did the first time, we will run away from them.

6 They'll come out after us, and we will lure them away from the city. They'll say, 'They're running away from us just like the first time.' As we run away from them,

7 you come out of hiding and capture the city. The LORD your God will hand it over to you.

8 When you have captured the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD says. These are your orders."

9 So Joshua sent them out, and they hid. They took their position west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent the night with the troops.

10 Joshua got up early in the morning and assembled the troops. Then he and the leaders of Israel led the army to Ai.

11 All the troops with him marched until they were near the city. They camped north of Ai with the ravine between them and Ai.

12 Joshua had taken about five thousand men and had them hide between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

13 All the troops were positioned. The main camp was north of the city, and the other troops were hiding west of the city. That night Joshua went down into the middle of the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw the main camp, he and all his troops got up early in the morning. They rushed out toward the plains to meet Israel for battle, just where [Joshua] expected. However, the king didn't know there were troops behind the city waiting to attack him.

15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated. They ran away toward the desert.

16 All the troops in the city were called out to chase them. As they chased Joshua, they were lured away from the city.

17 Not one man was left in Ai or Bethel; they all went after Israel. So the city was left unprotected as they chased Israel.

18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out the spear in your hand toward the city, because I am handing Ai over to you." So Joshua held out his spear.

19 The men who were hiding got up as soon as he stretched out his hand. They entered the city, captured it, and quickly set it on fire.

20 When the men of Ai looked back, they could see the city going up in smoke. They had no place to go, since the Israelites, who had been running toward the desert, had now turned back on them.

21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men who had been hiding had captured the city and that it was going up in smoke, they turned and attacked the men of Ai.

22 The men who had captured the city also came out and attacked them. The men of Ai were caught between the battle lines of Israel. So Israel attacked them on both sides. None of them survived or escaped.

23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had been pursued. They put them all to death; not one person survived. Then the Israelites went back to Ai and killed everyone left there.

25 Twelve thousand men and women from Ai died that day.

26 Joshua did not lower his hand holding the spear until he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Israel took the loot and the livestock of that city for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a deserted mound of ruins. It is still in ruins today.

29 Joshua hung the king of Ai's [dead body] on a pole and left him there until evening. When the sun went down, Joshua gave the order to take his body down. They threw it in the entrance of the city and made a large pile of stones over it. That pile is still there today.

30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD God of Israel.

31 He built an altar with uncut stones on which no iron chisels had been used. This was as the LORD's servant Moses had commanded the people of Israel in the Book of Moses' Teachings. They made burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings on the altar.

32 There in front of the people of Israel he wrote on stone slabs a copy of the Teachings which Moses had written down.

33 All the people of Israel, whether foreigners or native Israelites, the leaders, officers, and judges were standing on opposite sides of the ark. They faced the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the LORD's promise. Half of the people were in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal. Right from the beginning, the LORD's servant Moses had commanded the priests to bless the people of Israel this way.

34 Afterwards, Joshua read all the Teachings--the blessings and curses--as they had all been written down by Moses.

35 Joshua read [Moses' Teachings] in front of the whole assembly of Israel, including women, children, and foreigners living among them. He did not leave out one word from everything Moses had commanded.