The Second Generation Circumcised

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 awho were by the sea, bheard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until 1we had crossed over, that 2their heart melted; cand there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make dflint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at 3the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: eAll 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. 5 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. 6 For the children of Israel walked fforty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were 4consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord—to whom the Lord swore that gHe would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, h“a land flowing with milk and honey.” 7 Then Joshua circumcised itheir sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp jtill they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away kthe reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called lGilgal 5to this day.

10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover mon the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and 6parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then nthe 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.

The Commander of the Army of the Lord

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

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

And Joshua qfell on his face to the earth and rworshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, s“Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The Destruction of Jericho

6 Now aJericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! bI have given Jericho into your hand, its cking, and the mighty men of valor. 3 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. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven dtrumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city eseven times, and fthe priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 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.”

6 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 the Lord.” 7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.”

8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, gand the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 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.” 11 So he had hthe ark of the Lord circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and 1lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, iand the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.

15 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. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be jdoomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only kRahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because lshe hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, mby 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, nand trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are 2consecrated to the Lord; they 3shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

20 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 othe wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they putterly 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.

22 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, qas you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, rher 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. 24 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 the Lord. 25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So sshe dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua 4charged them at that time, saying, t“Cursed be the man before the Lord 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.”

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

Defeat at Ai

7 But the children of Israel 1committed a atrespass regarding the baccursed 2things, for cAchan the son of Carmi, the son of 3Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, dbut they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore ethe 4hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6 Then Joshua ftore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they gput dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord 5God, hwhy have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its 6back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and icut off our name from the earth. Then jwhat will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

10 So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. kFor they have even taken some of the 7accursed things, and have both stolen and ldeceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 mTherefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because nthey have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Get up, osanctify 8the people, and say, p‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot …