CIRCUMCISION OF THE ISRAELITES

5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the seas heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over,t they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”u 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.B 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. 6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord.a So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.b 7 He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. 8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.c 9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called GilgalC today.d

FOOD FROM THE LAND

10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.e 11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.f 12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased.g Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

COMMANDER OF THE LORD’S ARMY

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.h Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”i

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homagej and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”k And Joshua did that.

THE CONQUEST OF JERICHO

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.l 3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns.m 5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.”

6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark.n 10 But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” 11 So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.A

12 Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, 13 and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. 16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction.o Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,p because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you* take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. 19 For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”a

20 So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpets, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.b The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyedc everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

RAHAB AND HER FAMILY SPARED

22 Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.”d 23 So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

24 They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israele today.f

26 At that time Joshua imposed this curse:

The man who undertakes

the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,

is cursed before the Lord.g

He will lay its foundation

at the cost of his firstborn;

he will finish its gates

at the cost of his youngest.h

27 And the Lord was with Joshua,i and his fame spread throughout the land.

DEFEAT AT AI

7 The Israelites, however, were unfaithfulj regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven,k east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.

3 After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don’t send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousandB men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.” 4 So about three thousand menC went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.l 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries,A striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.B,m

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening,n as did the elders of Israel; they all put dust on their heads.o 7 “Oh, Lord God,” Joshua said, “why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan! 8 What can I say, Lord, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.p Then what will you do about your great name?”q

10 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen facedown? 11 Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put those things with their own belongings.r 12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction.s I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you what is set apart.

13 “Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow,t for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart. 14 In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the Lord selects is to come forward family by family. The family the Lord selects is to come forward man by man. 15 The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the Lord’s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.”a

ACHAN JUDGED

16 Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families,C and Zabdi was selected. 18 He then had Zabdi’s family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel,b and make a confession to him.D I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”

20 Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.c This is what I did: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon,E five poundsF of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter,G I coveted them and took them.d You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.” 22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.

24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.e 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble?f Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned themA to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today.g Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of AchorB still today.