New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Joshua 6
1
The gates of Jericho were shut tight and guarded closely because of the people of Israel. No one went out. No one came in.
Reference
2
Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, "I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also handed its king and its fighting men over to you.
Reference
4
Have seven priests get trumpets that are made out of rams' horns. They must carry them in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Have the priests blow the trumpets as you march.
Reference
5
"You will hear them blow a long blast on the trumpets. When you do, have all of the men give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will go up to the city. Every man will go straight in."
Reference
6
So Joshua, the son of Nun, called for the priests. He said to them, "Go and get the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I want seven of you to carry trumpets in front of it."
Reference
References Lord
Acts 9:1
7
He gave an order to the men. He said, "Move out! March around the city. Some of the fighting men must march in front of the ark of the Lord."
Reference
8
When Joshua had spoken to the men, the seven priests went forward. They were carrying the seven trumpets as they marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They were blowing the trumpets. The ark of the Lord's covenant was carried behind the priests.
Reference
References Lord
Numbers 32:20
9
Some of the fighting men marched ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. That whole time the priests were blowing the trumpets.
Reference
10
But Joshua had given an order to the fighting men. He had said, "Don't give a war cry. Don't raise your voices. Don't say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"
Reference
11
So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city once. Then the men returned to camp. They spent the night there.
13
The seven priests who were carrying the seven trumpets started out. They marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They blew the trumpets. Some of the fighting men marched ahead of them. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. The priests kept blowing the trumpets.
Reference
14
On the second day they marched around the city once. Then the men returned to camp. They did all of those things for six days.
15
On the seventh day, they got up at sunrise. They marched around the city, just as they had done before. But on that day they went around it seven times.
Reference
16
On the seventh time around, the priests blew a long blast on the trumpets. Then Joshua gave a command to the men. He said, "Shout! The Lord has given you the city!
Reference
17
The city and everything that is in it must be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. But the prostitute Rahab and all those who are with her in her house must be spared. That's because she hid the spies we sent.
Reference
Curse
Genesis 12:3
Galatians 3:10
Parallel theme
James 2:25
Hebrews 6:10
Hebrews 11:31
1 Corinthians 2:7
Matthew 25:40
Galatians 3:12
References Lord
Deuteronomy 20:17
Micah 4:13
18
"But keep away from the things that have been set apart to the Lord. If you take any of them, you will be destroyed. And you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. You will cause it to be destroyed.
Reference
Curse
Joshua 7:1
Deuteronomy 7:26
Parallel theme
1 John 5:21
Ephesians 5:11
2 Corinthians 6:17
Romans 12:9
Jonah 1:12
James 1:27
Ecclesiastes 9:18
References Israel
Joshua 7:25
19
All of the silver and gold is holy. It is set apart to the Lord. So are all of the articles that are made out of bronze and iron. All of those things must be added to the treasures that are kept in the Lord's house."
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 26:20
Mark 12:41
Matthew 27:6
Nehemiah 10:38
References Lord
1 Chronicles 18:11
1 Kings 7:51
2 Kings 24:13
2 Samuel 8:11
20
The priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the fighting men heard the sound, they gave a loud shout. Then the wall fell down. Every man charged straight in. So they took the city.
Reference
21
They set it apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. They destroyed every living thing in it with their swords. They killed men and women. They wiped out young people and old people. They destroyed cattle, sheep and donkeys.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 48:18
22
Then Joshua spoke to the two men who had gone in to check out the land. He said, "Go into the prostitute's house. Bring her out. Also bring out everyone who is with her. That's what you promised her you would do when you took an oath."
Reference
23
So the young men who had checked out the land went into Rahab's house. They brought her out along with her parents and brothers. They brought out everyone else who was there with her. They put them in a place that was outside the camp of Israel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 11:7
Acts 27:24
Acts 10:28
1 Corinthians 5:12
Genesis 18:24
Genesis 12:2
Numbers 31:19
References Israel
Ephesians 2:12
24
Then they burned the whole city and everything that was in it. But they added the silver and gold to the treasures that were kept in the Lord's house. They also put there the articles that were made out of bronze and iron.
Reference
Parallel theme
Joshua 8:28
Revelation 17:16
References Lord
2 Kings 25:9
Revelation 18:8
Deuteronomy 13:16
25
But Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab. He spared her family. He also spared everyone else who was in the house with her. He did it because she hid the spies he had sent to Jericho. Rahab lives among the people of Israel to this very day.
Reference
26
At that time Joshua took an oath and called down a curse. He said, "May the man who tries to rebuild this city of Jericho be under the Lord's curse. "If he lays its foundations, it will cost the life of his oldest son. If he sets up its gates, it will cost the life of his youngest son."
Reference
27
So the Lord was with Joshua. And Joshua became famous everywhere in the land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Joshua 1:5
Joshua 9:3
Joshua 9:1
Matthew 18:20
Matthew 28:20
Matthew 4:24
References Lord
2 Corinthians 13:14
Genesis 39:21
Joshua 9:9
2 Timothy 4:22
Chapter Summary
Joshua chapter 6 sets the scene for the first battle Israel fought after crossing the Jordan. It describes the unusual manner in which the city of Jericho was captured by the Israelites and the rescue of Rahab and her family. This chapter also tells of the doom that came upon the city and concludes with Joshua's growing reputation in the land.
Jericho was closed against Israel; no one was to enter or exit. The people inside knew Israel had crossed the Jordan and witnessed Israel's God performing signs and wonders over the enemy. The city was ready for the attack.
God told Joshua that Jericho and its king and mighty men were his. However, the manner in which the city was to be taken was strange. The Israelites were not to attempt a frontal assault on the city's walls.
Joshua was told to lead the soldiers around the city once every day for six days. Seven priests were to lead the procession in front of the Ark with seven trumpets made of rams' horns. The armed men were to march before the priests, and the rest would follow behind the Ark while the priests blew the trumpets.
For six days, the people marched around the city, observing the silence Joshua ordered. The people were to shout only when Joshua told them to when the procession began on the seventh day.
The Israelites were to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing their horns. Then Joshua was to call the people to shout, for the Lord had given the city into his possession on the seventh day.
The instructions were to be taken patiently. The people would have questioned what all the fuss was about since they were to walk around the city for seven days instead of attacking it directly. However, Joshua was to lead the people in complete faith that God would deliver the city into Israel's hands. It was a battle that was not to be fought in the Israelites' strength but God's.
Joshua summoned the priests and told them to bring the Ark of the Covenant. The seven priests carrying the seven ram's horns were to march before the Ark as they blew the trumpets continuously. The armed men were to lead the procession, and the other Israelites followed behind the Ark. They marched around the city for six days. The seventh day began with the people rising early and marching around the city seven times. As they marched for the seventh time, the priests blew their horns continuously. Joshua called the people to shout because the Lord had given the city to them.
The people shouted, and the trumpets' sound caused the city's walls to come tumbling down. The Israelites invaded the city.
It was during the battle that Joshua reminded the spies who had been sent to Jericho in Joshua chapter 2 concerning the promise made to the owner of the house where they had taken refuge. Joshua reminded them that Rahab and all those belonging to her household were to be rescued from the city's destruction.
Joshua summoned the two spies to bring out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all that she had. They were brought out to a safe place in the Israelite camp. Rahab and her household had risked their lives to save the two spies, and their promise was fulfilled.
The Israelites destroyed the city and all that belonged to it, for the city had been devoted to destruction. The people were to leave none of the things belonging to the city to their possession. The silver, gold, brass, and iron were to be dedicated to the Lord. However, Joshua told the people to spare the livestock and the food as they belonged to the Lord.
This part of Scripture is one of the most challenging parts of the book of Joshua because it speaks of the death of the people who lived in Jericho. It is one thing for the Israelites to conquer the enemies that fought against them. However, it is more to say that all the inhabitants of the city are to die because of their unbelief and rejection of the will of the Almighty.
Rahab and her household were the only exception because of her faith in the God of Israel. Joshua told them that the city was to be destroyed, and the people were to leave it desolate. They were to curse the inhabitants of the city who had rejected their promise and made war with them. He warned that whoever rebuilt the city would have their son used for a sacrifice at the firstborn son's laying of the foundation stone and at the setting of the city gates.
The chapter ends with the Lord being with Joshua, and his reputation grew throughout the land because the Lord had given him victories. The Israelites' army had not fought the battles; their God had fought for them, and the victories declared that Israel's God was indeed the Most High.
The contrast between the first five chapters of Joshua and chapter 6 is remarkable. Israel crossed the Jordan by faith and was led by Joshua to renew the covenant with God. They kept the Passover and were ready for war with Jericho. It was not the soldiers' might that would bring them victory, but God's promise that brought them triumph. The Ark was always in the front as they marched around Jericho for seven days.
However, it was not the Ark that brought victory but God's word, and Joshua ordered the soldiers to march around the city for seven days. They were to observe the silence he had imposed until he told them to shout. The people and soldiers obeyed his orders. They marched around the city, and when they reached the seventh day, they shouted and blew the ram's horns. It was enough noise to bring the city walls tumbling down. The Israelites invaded the city and took it as God had promised.
Faith in God's promise always comes with action. The people were not to stand and watch God destroy the city. They were to do as Joshua told them. The priests were first in line as they blew the ram's horns, followed by the soldiers carrying weapons, and the Ark of the Covenant. The people followed the soldiers and marched around the city with faith in God's promise that they would possess it.
Joshua chapter 6 tells of the first battle Israel fought after crossing the Jordan. It speaks of how the walls of Jericho fell because Joshua obeyed the orders of the Lord. It was also the order of the Lord that the city and all that belonged to it were to be destroyed. However, Rahab and her household were rescued because of the promise made to her.
The destruction of Jericho and the rescue of Rahab marked the climax of the events that transpired in Jericho. It was also the battle where Joshua demonstrated that Israel's God had power even when His people had failed to fight according to the military genius of the enemy. The walls of Jericho were no match for the power of God. The battle also set the pattern for future battles that Israel would fight in Canaan. All the battles were to be fought in faith in the promise of the Lord.
Jericho was closed against Israel; no one was to enter or exit. The people inside knew Israel had crossed the Jordan and witnessed Israel's God performing signs and wonders over the enemy. The city was ready for the attack.
God told Joshua that Jericho and its king and mighty men were his. However, the manner in which the city was to be taken was strange. The Israelites were not to attempt a frontal assault on the city's walls.
Joshua was told to lead the soldiers around the city once every day for six days. Seven priests were to lead the procession in front of the Ark with seven trumpets made of rams' horns. The armed men were to march before the priests, and the rest would follow behind the Ark while the priests blew the trumpets.
For six days, the people marched around the city, observing the silence Joshua ordered. The people were to shout only when Joshua told them to when the procession began on the seventh day.
The Israelites were to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing their horns. Then Joshua was to call the people to shout, for the Lord had given the city into his possession on the seventh day.
The instructions were to be taken patiently. The people would have questioned what all the fuss was about since they were to walk around the city for seven days instead of attacking it directly. However, Joshua was to lead the people in complete faith that God would deliver the city into Israel's hands. It was a battle that was not to be fought in the Israelites' strength but God's.
Joshua summoned the priests and told them to bring the Ark of the Covenant. The seven priests carrying the seven ram's horns were to march before the Ark as they blew the trumpets continuously. The armed men were to lead the procession, and the other Israelites followed behind the Ark. They marched around the city for six days. The seventh day began with the people rising early and marching around the city seven times. As they marched for the seventh time, the priests blew their horns continuously. Joshua called the people to shout because the Lord had given the city to them.
The people shouted, and the trumpets' sound caused the city's walls to come tumbling down. The Israelites invaded the city.
It was during the battle that Joshua reminded the spies who had been sent to Jericho in Joshua chapter 2 concerning the promise made to the owner of the house where they had taken refuge. Joshua reminded them that Rahab and all those belonging to her household were to be rescued from the city's destruction.
Joshua summoned the two spies to bring out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all that she had. They were brought out to a safe place in the Israelite camp. Rahab and her household had risked their lives to save the two spies, and their promise was fulfilled.
The Israelites destroyed the city and all that belonged to it, for the city had been devoted to destruction. The people were to leave none of the things belonging to the city to their possession. The silver, gold, brass, and iron were to be dedicated to the Lord. However, Joshua told the people to spare the livestock and the food as they belonged to the Lord.
This part of Scripture is one of the most challenging parts of the book of Joshua because it speaks of the death of the people who lived in Jericho. It is one thing for the Israelites to conquer the enemies that fought against them. However, it is more to say that all the inhabitants of the city are to die because of their unbelief and rejection of the will of the Almighty.
Rahab and her household were the only exception because of her faith in the God of Israel. Joshua told them that the city was to be destroyed, and the people were to leave it desolate. They were to curse the inhabitants of the city who had rejected their promise and made war with them. He warned that whoever rebuilt the city would have their son used for a sacrifice at the firstborn son's laying of the foundation stone and at the setting of the city gates.
The chapter ends with the Lord being with Joshua, and his reputation grew throughout the land because the Lord had given him victories. The Israelites' army had not fought the battles; their God had fought for them, and the victories declared that Israel's God was indeed the Most High.
The contrast between the first five chapters of Joshua and chapter 6 is remarkable. Israel crossed the Jordan by faith and was led by Joshua to renew the covenant with God. They kept the Passover and were ready for war with Jericho. It was not the soldiers' might that would bring them victory, but God's promise that brought them triumph. The Ark was always in the front as they marched around Jericho for seven days.
However, it was not the Ark that brought victory but God's word, and Joshua ordered the soldiers to march around the city for seven days. They were to observe the silence he had imposed until he told them to shout. The people and soldiers obeyed his orders. They marched around the city, and when they reached the seventh day, they shouted and blew the ram's horns. It was enough noise to bring the city walls tumbling down. The Israelites invaded the city and took it as God had promised.
Faith in God's promise always comes with action. The people were not to stand and watch God destroy the city. They were to do as Joshua told them. The priests were first in line as they blew the ram's horns, followed by the soldiers carrying weapons, and the Ark of the Covenant. The people followed the soldiers and marched around the city with faith in God's promise that they would possess it.
Joshua chapter 6 tells of the first battle Israel fought after crossing the Jordan. It speaks of how the walls of Jericho fell because Joshua obeyed the orders of the Lord. It was also the order of the Lord that the city and all that belonged to it were to be destroyed. However, Rahab and her household were rescued because of the promise made to her.
The destruction of Jericho and the rescue of Rahab marked the climax of the events that transpired in Jericho. It was also the battle where Joshua demonstrated that Israel's God had power even when His people had failed to fight according to the military genius of the enemy. The walls of Jericho were no match for the power of God. The battle also set the pattern for future battles that Israel would fight in Canaan. All the battles were to be fought in faith in the promise of the Lord.