Joshua 6:2-21
The LORD said to Joshua,“ Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.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 ram’s horns.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.”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 ram’s horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”He said to the troops,“ Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the LORD.”After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns before the LORD moved forward and blew the ram’s horns; the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them.While the ram’s horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the ram’s horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark.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.”So the ark of the LORD was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the LORD,and the seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns marched in front of the ark of the LORD. While the ram’s horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the LORD.On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.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.After the seventh time, the priests blew the ram’s horns, and Joshua said to the troops,“ Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.But the city and everything in it are set apart to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers we sent.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.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.”So the troops shouted, and the ram’s horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword— every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.
Joshua 8:29-35
He hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take his body down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and put a large pile of rocks over it, which still remains today.At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,just as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it.There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.All Israel— resident alien and citizen alike— with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the LORD’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded earlier concerning blessing the people of Israel.Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law— the blessings as well as the curses— according to all that is written in the book of the law.There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the dependents, and the resident aliens who lived among them.
