JOSHUA - Chapter 4

And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that YAHWEH spoke to Joshua, saying: "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'"

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of YAHWEH your Elohim into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of YAHWEH; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as YAHWEH had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that YAHWEH had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.

Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of YAHWEH and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before YAHWEH for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day YAHWEH exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

Then YAHWEH spoke to Joshua, saying, "Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan."

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan."

And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of YAHWEH had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; for YAHWEH your Elohim dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as YAHWEH your Elohim did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of YAHWEH, that it is mighty, that you may fear YAHWEH your Elohim forever."

Chapter 5

So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that YAHWEH had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

At that time YAHWEH said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time."

So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of YAHWEH—to whom YAHWEH swore that He would not show them the land which YAHWEH had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, "a land flowing with milk and honey."

Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. Then YAHWEH said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of YAHWEH I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Master say to His servant?"

Then the Commander of YAHWEH's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Chapter 6

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

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."

Then 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 YAHWEH."

And he said to the people, "Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of YAHWEH."

So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before YAHWEH advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of YAHWEH followed them. The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout."

So he had the ark of YAHWEH circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of YAHWEH. Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of YAHWEH went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of YAHWEH, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.

But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for YAHWEH has given you the city! Now the city shall be doomed by YAHWEH to destruction, it and all who are in it.

Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to YAHWEH; they shall come into the treasury of YAHWEH."

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her."

And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.

But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of YAHWEH. And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before YAHWEH who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates."

So YAHWEH was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.

HalleluYah!