| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. | 1Now Jericho was shut tightly because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. |
| 2But the LORD said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. | 2The LORD told Joshua, "See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, along with its king and its warriors. |
| 3You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. | 3Have all the warriors march around the city one time; do this for six days. |
| 4Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. | 4Have seven priests carry seven rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. |
| 5When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” | 5When you hear the signal from the ram's horn, have the whole army give a loud battle cry. Then the city wall will collapse and the warriors should charge straight ahead." |
| 6So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” | 6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and instructed them, "Pick up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests must carry seven rams' horns in front of the ark of the LORD." |
| 7Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD.” | 7And he told the army, "Move ahead and march around the city, with armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD." |
| 8After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed behind them. | 8When Joshua gave the army its orders, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns before the LORD moved ahead and blew the horns as the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed behind. |
| 9Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. | 9Armed troops marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark blowing rams' horns. |
| 10“Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” | 10Now Joshua had instructed the army, "Do not give a battle cry or raise your voices; say nothing until the day I tell you, 'Give the battle cry.' Then give the battle cry!" |
| 11So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. | 11So Joshua made sure they marched the ark of the LORD around the city one time. Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there. |
| 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. | 12Bright and early the next morning Joshua had the priests pick up the ark of the LORD. |
| 13The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. | 13The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns before the ark of the LORD marched along blowing their horns. Armed troops marched ahead of them, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark of the LORD blowing rams' horns. |
| 14On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. | 14They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all. |
| 15On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. | 15On the seventh day they were up at the crack of dawn and marched around the city as before--only this time they marched around it seven times. |
| 16The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the town! | 16The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams' horns and Joshua told the army, "Give the battle cry, for the LORD is handing the city over to you! |
| 17Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. | 17The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the LORD, except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies we sent. |
| 18“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. | 18But be careful when you are setting apart the riches for the LORD. If you take any of it, you will make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster. |
| 19Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.” | 19All the silver and gold, as well as bronze and iron items, belong to the LORD. They must go into the LORD's treasury." |
| 20When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. | 20The rams' horns sounded and when the army heard the signal, they gave a loud battle cry. The wall collapsed and the warriors charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. |
| 21They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. | 21They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys. |
| 22Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” | 22Joshua told the two men who had spied on the land, "Enter the prostitute's house and bring out the woman and all who belong to her as you promised her." |
| 23The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. | 23So the young spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and took them to a place outside the Israelite camp. |
| 24Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD’s house. | 24But they burned the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the LORD's house. |
| 25So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. | 25Yet Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father's family, and all who belonged to her. She lives in Israel to this very day because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. |
| 26At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” | 26At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration: "The man who attempts to rebuild this city of Jericho will stand condemned before the LORD. He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!" |
| 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. | 27The LORD was with Joshua and he became famous throughout the land. |
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