^6:26At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration:⁴⁸ “The man who attempts to rebuild⁴⁹ this city of Jericho⁵⁰ will stand condemned before the Lord.⁵¹ He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!”⁵²

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Footnotes

48 Normally the Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) has a causative sense (“make [someone] take an oath”; see Josh 2:17, 20), but here (see also Josh 23:7) no object is stated or implied. If Joshua is calling divine judgment down upon the one who attempts to rebuild Jericho, then “make a solemn appeal [to God as judge]” or “pronounce a curse” would be an appropriate translation. However, the tone seems stronger. Joshua appears to be announcing the certain punishment of the violator. 1 Kgs 16:34, which records the fulfillment of Joshua’s prediction, supports this. Casting Joshua in a prophetic role, it refers to Joshua’s statement as the “word of the Lord” spoken through Joshua.
49 Heb “rises up and builds.”
50 The omits “Jericho.” It is probably a scribal addition.
51 The Hebrew phrase אָרוּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה (’arur lifney yéhvah, “cursed [i.e., condemned] before the Lord”) also occurs in 1 Sam 26:19.
52 Heb “With his firstborn he will lay its foundations and with his youngest he will erect its gates.” The Hebrew verb יַצִּיב (yatsiv, “he will erect”) is imperfect, not jussive, suggesting Joshua’s statement is a prediction, not an imprecation.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.

“At the cost of his firstborn

shall he lay its foundation,

and at the cost of his youngest son

shall he set up its gates.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

“At the cost of his firstborn son

he will lay its foundations;

at the cost of his youngest

he will set up its gates.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

At that time Joshua imposed this curse:

The man who undertakes

the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,

is cursed before the Lord.

He will lay its foundation

at the cost of his firstborn;

he will finish its gates

at the cost of his youngest.

NLTNew Living Translation

At that time Joshua invoked this curse:

“May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone

who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho.

At the cost of his firstborn son,

he will lay its foundation.

At the cost of his youngest son,

he will set up its gates.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Joshua swore at that time, saying, “Cursed is anyone before Yahweh who gets up and builds Jericho, this city. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

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