Jos 4-6

CHAPTER 4

AND it came to pass, when all the people wereclean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spakeunto Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out ofevery tribe a man,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take you henceout of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm,twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in thelodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4 Then Joshuacalled the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out ofevery tribe a man:
5 And Joshuasaid unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up everyman of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribesof the children of Israel:
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters ofJordanwere cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordanwere cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.
8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshuacommanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spakeunto Joshua, according to the numberof the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over withthem unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshuaset up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan,in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenantstood: and they are there unto this day.
10 ¶ For the priests which bare the ark stoodin the midst of Jordan, untilevery thing was finished that the Lordcommanded Joshua to speak unto thepeople, according to all that Mosescommanded Joshua: and the peoplehasted and passed over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the peoplewere clean passed over, that the ark of the Lordpassed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben,and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh,passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Mosesspake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passedover before the Lord unto battle,to the plains of Jericho.
14 ¶ On that day the Lord magnified Joshuain the sight of all Israel;and they feared him, as they feared Moses,all the days of his life.
15 And the Lord spakeunto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of thetestimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshuatherefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And it came to pass, when the priests thatbare the ark of the covenant of the Lordwere come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the watersof Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 ¶ And the people came up out of Jordanon the tenth day of the first month,and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took outof Jordan,did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying,When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children know,saying, Israel came overthis Jordanon dry land.
23 For the Lordyour God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, untilye were passed over, as the Lordyour God did to the Red sea, which he dried upfrom before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might knowthe hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

CHAPTER 5

AND it came to pass, when all the kings of theAmorites, which were on the side ofJordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordanfrom before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heartmelted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children ofIsrael.
2 ¶ At that time the Lord said unto Joshua,Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel thesecond time.
3 And Joshuamade him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at thehill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise:All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all themen of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5 Now all the people that came out werecircumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the wayas they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty yearsin the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out ofEgypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew themthe land, which the Lord swareunto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk andhoney.
7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshuacircumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised themby the way.
8 And it came to pass, when they had donecircumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, tillthey were whole.
9 And the Lordsaid unto Joshua, This day have Irolled away the reproach of Egyptfrom off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
10 ¶ And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passoveron the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
11 And they did eat of the old corn of the landon the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12 ¶ And the manna ceased on the morrow afterthey had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of thefruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joshua was byJericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a manover against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him,and said unto him, Art thou for us,or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lordam I now come. And Joshua fell on hisface to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord untohis servant?
15 And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for theplace whereon thou standest is holy.And Joshua did so.

CHAPTER 6

NOW Jericho wasstraitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and nonecame in.
2 And the Lordsaid unto Joshua, See, I have giveninto thine hand Jericho,and the king thereof, and the mightymen of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the arkseven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the cityseven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when theymake a long blast with the ram’shorn, and when ye hear the sound ofthe trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of thecity shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straightbefore him.
6 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun called thepriests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let sevenpriests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, andcompass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.
8 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joshua had spokenunto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’horns passed on before the Lord,and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.
9 ¶ And the armed men went before the prieststhat blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10 And Joshuahad commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise withyour voice, neither shall any wordproceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11 So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 ¶ And Joshua rose early in the morning, andthe priests took up the ark of the Lord.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets oframs’ horns before the ark of the Lordwent on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went beforethem; but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with thetrumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the cityonce, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, thatthey rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after thesame manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time,when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshuasaid unto the people, Shout; for the Lordhath given you the city.
17 ¶ And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live,she and all that are with her in thehouse, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lestye make yourselves accursed, when yetake of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels ofbrass and iron, are consecrated untothe Lord: they shall come into thetreasury of the Lord.
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound ofthe trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell downflat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him,and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman,young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men thathad spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence thewoman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in,and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, andall that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them withoutthe camp of Israel.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and allthat was therein: only the silver,and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasuryof the house of the Lord.
25 And Joshuasaved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had;and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid themessengers, which Joshua sent to spyout Jericho.
26 ¶ And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord,that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho:he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27 So the Lordwas with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

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