Study Desk

And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

But Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed from your mouth, until the day I tell you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout!"

Now Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

And at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.

And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, just as you have sworn to her."

However, Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD is the man 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."

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai.

Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not have all the people go up; have only about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not trouble all the people there, for they are few."

Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

And Joshua said, "Oh, Lord GOD! Why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan, only to hand us over to the Amorites, to eliminate us? If only we had been willing to live beyond the Jordan!

So the LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?

So Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel forward by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was selected.

Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me."

So Achan answered Joshua and said, "Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath it.

So they took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel; and they laid them out before the LORD.

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, "Why have you brought disaster on us? The LORD will bring disaster on you this day." And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.