Study Desk

After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(a) the Lord spoke to Joshua:

"Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each tribe,^(b)

and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests^[a] are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night."

So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe,

and said to them, "Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each^[b] of the Israelite tribes,

so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?'^(c)

you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord 's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan's waters were cut off.' Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites."^(d)

The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each^[c] of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle^[d] of the Jordan where the priests^[e] who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.^(e)

The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across,

and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the Lord crossed in the sight of the people.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites,^(f) as Moses had instructed them.

About 40,000 equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord 's presence.

On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses.^(g)

The Lord told Joshua,

"Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony^[f](h) to come up from the Jordan."

So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up from the Jordan."

When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord 's covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet^[g] stepped out on solid ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over all the banks as before.

The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,^[h] and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.

Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan,

and he said to the Israelites, "In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?'

you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'⁽ⁱ⁾

For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,^(j) just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over.

This is so that all the people of the earth may know^(k) that the Lord 's hand is mighty,^(l) and so that you may always fear the Lord your God."^(m)

When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea^(a) heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over,^(b) they lost heart and their courage failed^[a] because of the Israelites.

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again."^(c)

So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.^[b]

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.

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.

For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation's men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord .^(d) So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.^(e)

Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.

After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.^(f)

The Lord then said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you." Therefore, that place is called Gilgal^[c] to this day.^(g)

While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.^[d]

The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased.^(h) Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand.⁽ⁱ⁾ Joshua approached Him and asked, "Are You for us or for our enemies?"

"Neither," He replied. "I have now come as commander of the Lord 's army." Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship^(j) and asked Him, "What does my Lord want to say to His servant?"

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 so.

Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering.

The Lord said to Joshua, "Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men over to you.^(a)

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 trumpets.^(b)

When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people 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 trumpets in front of the ark of the Lord ."

He said to the people, "Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed troops go ahead of the ark of the Lord ."

After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord 's covenant followed them.

While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.^(c)

But Joshua had commanded the people: "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.^[a]

Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord ,

and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the Lord . While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops 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 trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, "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,^(d) because she hid the men^[b] we sent.

But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you^[c] take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on 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 people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.^(e) The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.

They completely destroyed^(f) everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

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 promised her."^(g)

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.

They burned up 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.

However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she lives in Israel^(h) to this day.⁽ⁱ⁾

At that time Joshua imposed this curse: The man who undertakes the rebuilding of this city, Jericho, is cursed before the Lord . He will lay its foundation at the cost of his firstborn; he will set up its gates at the cost of his youngest.^(j)

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