Side by side
Joshua 6
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Scene 6: Shut TightVerses 1 to 5
Now Jericho's gates were shut tight because of the Israelites. No one went out. No one came in.
The LORD spoke to Joshua. "Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand" (6:2). God said this before anyone had marched even once.
Then God gave Joshua an unusual plan. For six days, Israel's soldiers were to march around the city once a day.
Seven priests would carry seven rams' horns in front of the ark. A ram's horn was an animal's horn, hollowed out and blown like a trumpet. The ark was a gold-covered wooden chest. It held the stone tablets of God's law. It showed that God was with his people.
On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times. The priests would blow the horns. At one long blast, all the people would give a mighty shout. Then the wall would fall down.
1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 5And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”
Scene 7: Six Quiet DaysVerses 6 to 14
Joshua called the priests. He told them to take up the ark.
The march began. Armed soldiers went first. Then came the seven priests, blowing the rams' horns. Then came the ark. More soldiers followed behind it.
Joshua gave the people a strict order. No battle cry. No talking. Not one word, until the day Joshua told them to shout.
So they circled the city once, with only the horns sounding. Then they went back to camp for the night.
The next morning, Joshua got up early. The priests and soldiers did it all again. They marched around the city once a day for six days.
The Bible doesn't say how the people inside Jericho felt watching this. But remember what Rahab said: they were already melting in fear.
6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.” 7And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” 8After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark. 10But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!” 11So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there. 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD. 13And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding. 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
Scene 8: The ShoutVerses 15 to 20
On the seventh day, they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times.
The seventh time around, the priests blew the horns.
Joshua gave the command. "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!" (6:16).
Joshua also gave a warning. The city and everything in it must be "devoted to the LORD for destruction" (6:17). Only Rahab and the people in her house would live. No one could take anything for themselves. The silver, gold, bronze, and iron belonged to the LORD.
The horns sounded. The people shouted.
The wall collapsed.
Israel's army charged straight into the city and captured it.
15Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times. 16After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! 17Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent. 18But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it. 19For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.” 20So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.
Scene 9: Everyone in the CityVerse 21
Then came the hardest part of this story. Israel devoted the city to destruction, as Joshua had said. The Bible says they killed every living thing in it with the sword. Men and women. Young and old. Oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
The Bible does not describe the killing in detail. But it does not hide it either. Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
21At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
Scene 10: Rahab Is SavedVerses 22 to 27
In the middle of all this, Joshua kept the spies' promise. He sent the two spies to Rahab's house. "Bring out the woman and all who are with her" (6:22).
The spies went in. They brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers, and everyone who belonged to her. They settled the family outside Israel's camp.
Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. They put the silver, gold, bronze, and iron in the treasury of the LORD's house.
Joshua spared Rahab because she had hidden the spies. "So she has lived among the Israelites to this day" (6:25).
Joshua spoke a solemn curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho. And the LORD was with Joshua. People all over the land heard about Joshua.
Rahab had asked for a sure sign. She tied the scarlet cord in her window, as the spies had asked. And God's people kept their promise. A woman from outside Israel was welcomed in.
22Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.” 23So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. 24Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day. 26At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
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