Day 70 of 364

^3:1Joshua got up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They camped there before they crossed over. ^3:2After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp; ^3:3and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the LORD your God’s covenant, and the Levitical priests bearing it, then leave your place and follow it. ^3:4Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.” ^3:5Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” ^3:6Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and cross over before the people.” They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. ^3:7The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ^3:8You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” ^3:9Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” ^3:10Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you. ^3:11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. ^3:12Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. ^3:13It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of GOD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one heap.” ^3:14When the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people, ^3:15and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest), ^3:16the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho. ^3:17The priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan. ^4:1When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, ^4:2“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe, ^4:3and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’” ^4:4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe. ^4:5Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; ^4:6that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’ ^4:7then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’” ^4:8The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. ^4:9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle 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. ^4:10For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over. ^4:11When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people. ^4:12The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them. ^4:13About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho. ^4:14On that day, the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. ^4:15The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, ^4:16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.” ^4:17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!” ^4:18When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before. ^4:19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho. ^4:20Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal. ^4:21He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ^4:22Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. ^4:23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over, ^4:24that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’” ^5:1When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel. ^5:2At that time, the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” ^5:3Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. ^5:4This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt. ^5:5For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. ^5:6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice. The LORD swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which the LORD swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ^5:7Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way. ^5:8When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed. ^5:9The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day. ^5:10The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. ^5:11They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. ^5:12The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. ^5:13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?” ^5:14He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” ^5:15The prince of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so. ^6:1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. ^6:2The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. ^6:3All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. ^6:4Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ^6:5It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.” ^6:6Joshua 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 LORD’s ark.” ^6:7They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the LORD’s ark.” ^6:8It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. ^6:9The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went. ^6:10Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” ^6:11So he caused the LORD’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. ^6:12Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark. ^6:13The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the LORD’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the LORD’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went. ^6:14The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days. ^6:15On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. ^6:16At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! ^6:17The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ^6:18But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. ^6:19But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the LORD’s treasury.” ^6:20So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. ^6:21They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. ^6:22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” ^6:23The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. ^6:24They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. ^6:25But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. ^6:26Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.” ^6:27So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.