Joshua

Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

1The city of Jericho was shut up tight. This was because the people of Israel were close by. No one went out, and no one came in.

2And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

2The LORD said to Joshua, "Look, I have handed Jericho over to you. Its king and its strong soldiers are yours."

3And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

3"March around the city one time. All your fighting men must go with you. Do this for six days."

4And 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.

4"Seven priests must carry seven trumpets made from rams' horns. Priests were men who served God for the people. They must walk in front of the ark. The ark was the special box that held God's agreement with Israel. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. The priests must blow the horns as you go."

5And 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.

5"They will blow one long blast on the ram's horn. When you hear that sound, all the people must shout loudly. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat. Each man will climb straight up into the city."

6And 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.

6So Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests together. He said, "Pick up the ark of the agreement. Seven priests must carry seven ram's horn trumpets in front of it."

7And 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.

7He told the people, "Go forward and march around the city. The soldiers with weapons must walk ahead of the ark of the LORD."

8And 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.

8When Joshua finished speaking, the seven priests went forward. They carried the seven ram's horn trumpets and blew them. The ark of the LORD's agreement came right behind them.

9And 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.

9Armed soldiers walked in front of the priests who blew the horns. Other soldiers guarded the back, behind the ark. The priests kept walking and kept blowing the horns.

Note"Rereward" is an old spelling of "rear guard." It means the soldiers who marched at the back to protect everyone.

10And 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.

10Joshua had told the people, "Do not shout. Do not make any sound with your voice. Do not let one word come out of your mouth. Wait until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

11So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

11So the ark of the LORD was carried around the city one time. Then the people went back to their camp and slept there.

12And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

12Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests picked up the ark of the LORD.

13And 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.

13The seven priests carried the seven ram's horn trumpets in front of the ark. They kept marching and kept blowing the horns. Armed soldiers walked ahead of them. Other soldiers came behind the ark. The priests kept blowing the horns as they went.

14And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

14On the second day they marched around the city one time. Then they went back to the camp. They did this for six days.

15And 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.

15On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city the same way as before. But this time they went around seven times. That was the only day they did that.

16And 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.

16The seventh time around, the priests blew the horns. Joshua said to the people, "Shout! The LORD has given you the city!"

17And 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.

17"The city and everything in it must be given to the LORD and destroyed. Only Rahab and everyone in her house will live. Rahab was a woman who sold herself to men for money. She will live because she hid the men we sent."

Note"Accursed" here does not mean saying bad words. It means the city was handed over completely to God and destroyed.

18And 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.

18"Stay away from the things that are marked for destruction. If you take any of them, you bring that destruction on yourself. You would also bring big trouble on the whole camp of Israel."

19But 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.

19"All the silver, gold, bronze, and iron things belong to the LORD. They must be put into the LORD's treasure room."

20So 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.

20So the priests blew the horns, and the people shouted. When they heard the horn, they gave a great shout. The wall fell down flat. The people went straight up into the city and took it.

21And 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.

21They destroyed everything in the city with their swords. They killed men and women, young people and old people. They killed the cows, the sheep, and the donkeys too.

22But 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.

22Joshua had spoken to the two men who spied on the land. He said, "Go into the woman's house. Bring her out, and everyone who belongs to her. You made her a promise, so keep it."

23And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out 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.

23So the two young spies went in. They brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, and her brothers. They brought out her whole family. They settled them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

24And 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.

24Then the people burned the city and everything in it. But they kept the silver, the gold, and the bronze and iron things. Those were put into the treasure room of the LORD's house.

25And 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.

25Joshua let Rahab live, along with her father's family and all who belonged to her. He did this because she hid the men he sent to spy on Jericho. She has lived among the people of Israel ever since.

26And 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.

26Then Joshua made the people take a serious promise. He said, "May the LORD curse the man who builds Jericho again. He will lose his oldest son when he lays the first stones. He will lose his youngest son when he sets up the gates."

Note"Adjured" means Joshua had the people make a serious, binding promise.

27So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

27So the LORD was with Joshua. News about Joshua spread through the whole land.