Study Desk

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.

the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,

So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up from the Jordan."

He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God."

So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation's men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, "Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of the LORD."

So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

So when the trumpets sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people charged into the city, each man straight ahead, and captured the city.

So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father's household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the LORD's anger burned against the Israelites.

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

On returning to Joshua, they reported, "There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there."