Study Desk

Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!"

Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho." So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: "Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land."

So the king's men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king's men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.

In the morning Joshua said to the priests, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river." And so they started out and went ahead of the people.

So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the Lord your God says.

So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel.

So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.

So Joshua gave the command.

He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord 's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever."

When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.

So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers' places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt." So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.

So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the Lord 's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn."

So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.

So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.