Joshua 2

Rahab Hides the Spies

1And Joshua the son of Nun asent
Or had sent
two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of ca prostitute whose name was dRahab and lodged there.
2And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan eas far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

8Before the men
Hebrew they
lay down, she came up to them on the roof
9and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, gand that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land hmelt away before you. 10For we have heard how the Lord idried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and jwhat you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to kSihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
That is, set apart ( devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
11And mas soon as we heard it, nour hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for othe Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and pgive me a sure sign 13that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land qwe will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

15Then she rlet them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16And she said
Or had said
to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.”
17The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 tBehold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, uand you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, vhis blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20But if you wtell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 21And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and xpassed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. 24And they said to Joshua, “Truly ythe Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land zmelt away because of us.”

Joshua 4

Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

1When all the nation had finished passing aaover the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 abTake twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3and command them, saying, ‘Take actwelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place adwhere the priestsfeet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in aethe place where you lodge tonight.’” 4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you. afWhen your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7then you shall tell them that agthe waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel aha memorial forever.”

8And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down
Or to rest
there.
9And Joshua set up
Or  Joshua had set up
twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, akin the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.
10For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste.
11And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. 12The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh alpassed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. 13About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On that day the Lord amexalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

15And the Lord said to Joshua, 16Command the priests bearing anthe ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priestsfeet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, aoas before.

19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at apGilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20And aqthose twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21And he said to the people of Israel, arWhen your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22then you shall let your children know, asIsrael passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, atwhich he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 auso that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is avmighty, that you may awfear the Lord your God forever.”
Or all the days


Joshua 6

The Fall of Jericho

1Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, ayI have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4Seven priests shall bear seven aztrumpets of barams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and bbthe priests shall blow the trumpets. 5And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,
Hebrew under itself; also verse 20
and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
6So Joshua the 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 the ark of the Lord.” 7And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let bdthe armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

8And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. 9The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the berear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

12Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and bfthe priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

15On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17And the city and all that is within it shall be bgdevoted to the Lord for destruction.
That is, set apart ( devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 18, 21
Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she bihid the messengers whom we sent.
18But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel bja thing for destruction and bkbring trouble upon it. 19But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and blthe wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21Then they bmdevoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

22But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, bnas you swore to her.” 23So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and boher father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. bpOnly the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And bqshe has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, brCursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.

“At the cost of his firstborn shall he
lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son
shall he set up its gates.”
27 bsSo the Lord was with Joshua, and bthis fame was in all the land.

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