The Story of the Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6:1–14 WEB

¹Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. ²The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. ³All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. ⁴Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.” ⁶Joshua 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 LORD’s ark.” ⁷They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the LORD’s ark.” ⁸It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. ⁹The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went. ¹⁰Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” ¹¹So he caused the LORD’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. ¹²Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark. ¹³The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the LORD’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the LORD’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went. ¹⁴The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.