Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. The Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all your men of war, going around it once. This you shall do six days.

Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, you shall encircle the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. When they sound the long blast on the ram's horns, and you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people will shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, so each man can ascend straight before him.

Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before it. He also told the people, "Pass on and go around the city, with those armed going ahead of the ark of the Lord." When Joshua had spoken, seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams' horns went before the Lord and blew their trumpets. The ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them, and the armed men went before the priests.

The people marched around the city once, with the priests blowing the trumpets and the ark following them. Joshua had commanded the people not to shout or make any noise with their voice until he bid them to do so. After they completed one round, they returned to the camp where they lodged.

Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord again. The seven priests carrying seven trumpets went before it, continually blowing the trumpets while the armed men marched ahead and the rear guard followed behind the ark. They repeated this process six days, going around the city once each day.

On the seventh day, when they rose early at dawn, they encircled the city seven times in the same manner as before. When the priests blew with the trumpets for the seventh time, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! The Lord has given you the city."

The city and all that was in it were devoted to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and those who were with her in the house would be spared because she had hidden the messengers that Joshua sent. You must keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest you take of it and thus bring a curse upon yourselves and trouble the camp of Israel.

All the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. The people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets. When they heard the sound of the trumpet, they shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat.

The people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both men and women, young and old, and livestock, with the edge of the sword.

Joshua instructed two men who had spied out the country to go into the harlot's house and bring out from there the woman and her family, as they had sworn to do. The spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all that belonged to her. They left them outside the camp of Israel.

They burnt the city with fire, and all that was in it; only the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron were put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, along with her father's household and all she possessed.

At that time, Joshua charged them with an oath, saying, "Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho: he shall lay its foundation in his firstborn son, and in his youngest son he shall set up its gates." The Lord was with Joshua; and his reputation spread throughout the entire region.