Joshua 5
5When 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.H4428H567H5676H3383H3220H4428H3669H3220H8085H3068H3001H4325H3383H6440H1121H3478H5674H3824H4549H7307H6440H1121H3478 2At that time the LORD told Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites."H6256H3068H559H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H7725H1121H3478H8145 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H1121H3478H1389H6190 4Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness.H1697H3091H4135H5971H3318H4714H2145H582H4421H4191H4057H1870H3318H4714 5Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised.H3588H5971H3318H4135H5971H3209H4057H1870H3318H4714H4135 6The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the LORD, and the LORD vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.H1121H3478H1980H705H8141H4057H1471H582H4421H3318H4714H8552H8085H6963H3068H3068H7650H7200H776H3068H7650H1H5414H776H2100H2461H1706 7So 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.H1121H6965H3091H4135H6189H4135H1870 8After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.H8552H4135H1471H3427H4264H2421 9Then 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.H3068H559H3091H3117H1556H2781H4714H8034H4725H7121H1537H3117 10While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.H1121H3478H2583H1537H6213H6453H702H6240H3117H2320H6153H6160H3405 11The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land.H398H5669H776H4283H6453H4682H7033H6106H3117 12No 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.H4478H7673H4283H398H5669H776H1121H3478H4478H398H8393H776H3667H8141 13When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?"H3091H3405H5375H5869H7200H5975H376H2719H8025H3027H3091H3212H559H6862 14"Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the LORD's army." At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you want your servant to do?"H559H8269H6635H3068H935H3091H5307H6440H776H7812H559H1696H113H5650 15The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did as he was told.H8269H3068H6635H559H3091H5394H5275H7272H4725H5975H6944H3091H6213
Joshua 6
6Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.H3405H5462H5462H6440H1121H3478H3318H9352But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.H3068H559H3091H7200H5414H3027H3405H4428H1368H24283You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.H5437H5892H582H4421H5362H5892H6471H259H6213H8337H31174Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.H7651H3548H5375H6440H727H7651H7782H3104H7637H3117H5437H5892H7651H6471H3548H8628H77825When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town."H4900H3104H7161H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5892H5307H8478H5971H5927H3766So 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."H3091H1121H5126H7121H3548H559H5375H727H1285H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H30687Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD."H559H5971H5674H5437H5892H2502H5674H6440H727H30688After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD's Covenant followed behind them.H3091H559H5971H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H5674H6440H3068H8628H7782H727H1285H3068H1980H3109Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.H2502H1980H6440H3548H8628H8628H7782H622H1980H310H727H1980H8628H778210"Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"H3091H6680H5971H559H7321H8085H6963H1697H3318H6310H3117H559H7321H732111So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.H727H3068H5437H5892H5362H6471H259H935H4264H3885H426412Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD.H3091H7925H1242H3548H5375H727H306813The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.H7651H3548H5375H7651H7782H3104H6440H727H3068H1980H1980H8628H7782H2502H1980H6440H622H1980H310H727H3068H1980H8628H778214On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.H8145H3117H5437H5892H6471H259H7725H4264H6213H8337H311715On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times.H7637H3117H7925H5927H7837H5437H5892H4941H7651H6471H3117H5437H5892H7651H647116The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the town!H7637H6471H3548H8628H7782H3091H559H5971H7321H3068H5414H589217Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.H5892H2764H3068H7343H2181H2421H1004H2244H4397H797118"Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.H7535H8104H2764H2763H3947H2764H7760H4264H3478H2764H591619Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury."H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H6944H3068H935H214H306820When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.H5971H7321H8628H7782H5971H8085H6963H7782H5971H7321H1419H8643H2346H5307H5971H5927H5892H376H3920H589221They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.H2763H5892H376H802H5288H2205H7794H7716H2543H6310H271922Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, "Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute's house and bring her out, along with all her family."H3091H559H8147H582H7270H776H935H2181H1004H3318H802H765023The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.H5288H7270H935H3318H7343H1H517H251H3318H4940H3240H2351H4264H347824Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD's house.H8313H5892H784H3701H2091H3627H5178H1270H5414H214H1004H306825So 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.H3091H2421H7343H2181H2421H1H1004H3427H7130H3478H3117H2244H4397H3091H7971H7270H340526At that time Joshua invoked this curse: "May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates."H3091H7650H6256H559H779H376H6440H3068H6965H1129H5892H3405H3245H1060H6810H5324H181727So the LORD was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.H3068H3091H8089H776
Joshua 7
7But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.H1121H3478H4603H4604H2764H5912H1121H3756H1121H2067H1121H2226H4294H3063H3947H2764H639H3068H2734H1121H34782Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven.H3091H7971H582H3405H5857H5973H1007H6924H1008H559H559H5927H7270H776H582H5927H7270H58573When they returned, they told Joshua, "There's no need for all of us to go up there; it won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all our people struggle to go up there."H7725H3091H559H5971H5927H7969H505H376H5927H5221H5857H5971H3021H45924So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of AiH5927H5971H7969H505H376H5127H6440H582H58575chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.H582H5857H5221H7970H8337H376H7291H6440H8179H7671H5221H4174H3824H5971H4549H43256Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the LORD until evening.H3091H7167H8071H5307H776H6440H6440H727H3068H6153H2205H3478H5927H6083H72187Then Joshua cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side!H3091H559H162H136H3069H5674H5674H5971H5674H3383H5414H3027H567H6H3863H2974H3427H5676H33838Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies?H994H136H559H310H3478H2015H6203H6440H3419For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?"H3669H3427H776H8085H5437H3772H8034H776H6213H1419H803410But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this?H3068H559H3091H6965H5307H644011Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.H3478H2398H5674H1285H6680H3947H2764H1589H3584H7760H362712That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.H1121H3478H3201H6965H6440H341H6437H6203H6440H341H2764H3254H3808H8045H2764H713013"Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.H6965H6942H5971H559H6942H4279H559H3068H430H3478H2764H7130H3478H3201H6965H6440H341H5493H2764H713014"In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the LORD will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the LORD will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one.H1242H7126H7626H7626H3068H3920H7126H4940H4940H3068H3920H7126H1004H1004H3068H3920H7126H1397H139715The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel."H3920H2764H8313H784H5674H1285H3068H6213H5039H347816Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.H3091H7925H1242H7126H3478H7626H7626H3063H392017Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out.H7126H4940H3063H3920H4940H2227H7126H4940H2227H1397H1397H2067H392018Every member of Zimri's family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.H7126H1004H1397H1397H5912H1121H3756H1121H2067H1121H2226H4294H3063H392019Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me."H3091H559H5912H1121H7760H3519H3068H430H3478H5414H8426H5046H6213H358220Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.H5912H6030H3091H559H546H2398H3068H430H3478H621321Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."H7200H7998H259H2896H8152H155H3967H8255H3701H259H3956H2091H2572H8255H4948H2530H3947H2934H776H8432H168H370122So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest.H3091H7971H4397H7323H168H2934H168H370123They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the LORD.H3947H8432H168H935H3091H1121H3478H3332H6440H306824Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.H3091H3478H3947H5912H1121H2226H3701H155H3956H2091H1121H1323H7794H2543H6629H168H5927H6010H591125Then Joshua said to Achan, "Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will now bring trouble on you." And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.H3091H559H4100H5916H3068H5916H3117H3478H7275H68H8313H784H5619H6826They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the LORD was no longer angry.H6965H1419H1530H68H3117H3068H7725H2740H639H8034H4725H7121H6010H5911H3117
Joshua 8
8Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.H3068H559H3091H3372H2865H3947H5971H4421H6965H5927H5857H7200H5414H3027H4428H5857H5971H5892H7762You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town."H6213H5857H4428H6213H3405H4428H7998H929H962H7760H693H5892H3103So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at nightH3091H6965H5971H4421H5927H5857H3091H977H7970H505H1368H376H2428H7971H39154with these orders: "Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action.H6680H559H7200H693H5892H310H5892H7368H3966H7368H5892H35595When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them.H5971H7126H5892H3318H7125H7223H5127H64406We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, 'The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.' Then, while we are running from them,H3318H310H5423H5892H559H5127H6440H7223H5127H64407you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the LORD your God will give it to you.H6965H693H3423H5892H3068H430H5414H30278Set the town on fire, as the LORD has commanded. You have your orders."H8610H5892H3341H5892H784H1697H3068H6213H7200H66809So they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night.H3091H7971H3212H3993H3427H1008H5857H3220H5857H3091H3885H3915H8432H597110Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.H3091H7925H1242H6485H5971H5927H2205H3478H6440H5971H585711All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the town.H5971H4421H5927H5066H935H5892H2583H6828H5857H1516H585712That night Joshua sent 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town.H3947H2568H505H376H7760H693H1008H5857H3220H5857H589213So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley.H7760H5971H4264H6828H5892H6119H3220H5892H3091H3212H3915H8432H601014When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the town.H4428H5857H7200H4116H7925H582H5892H3318H7125H3478H4421H5971H4150H6440H6160H3045H693H310H589215Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.H3091H3478H5060H6440H5127H1870H405716Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town.H5971H5857H5892H2199H7291H310H7291H310H3091H5423H589217There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open.H376H7604H5857H1008H3318H310H3478H5800H5892H6605H7291H347818Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you." Joshua did as he was commanded.H3068H559H3091H5186H3591H3027H5857H5414H3027H3091H5186H3591H3027H589219As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their position and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.H693H6965H4120H4725H7323H5186H3027H935H5892H3920H4116H3341H5892H78420When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers.H582H5857H6437H310H7200H6227H5892H5927H8064H3027H5127H2008H5971H5127H4057H2015H729121When Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of Ai.H3091H3478H7200H693H3920H5892H6227H5892H5927H7725H5221H582H585722Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped.H428H3318H5892H7125H8432H3478H5221H5704H7604H8300H641223Only the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.H4428H5857H8610H2416H7126H309124When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.H3478H3615H2026H3427H5857H7704H4057H7291H5307H6310H2719H8552H3478H7725H5857H5221H6310H271925So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day—12,000 in all.H5307H3117H376H802H8147H6240H505H582H585726For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed.H3091H7725H3027H7725H5186H3591H2763H3427H585727Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.H929H7998H5892H3478H962H1697H3068H6680H309128So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.H3091H8313H5857H7760H8510H5769H8077H311729Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today.H4428H5857H8518H6086H6256H6153H8121H935H3091H6680H3381H5038H3381H6086H7993H6607H8179H5892H6965H1419H1530H68H311730Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.H3091H1129H4196H3068H430H3478H2022H585831He followed the commands that Moses the LORD's servant had written in the Book of Instruction: "Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools." Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.H4872H5650H3068H6680H1121H3478H3789H5612H8451H4872H4196H8003H68H5130H1270H5927H5930H3068H2076H800232And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.H3789H68H4932H8451H4872H3789H6440H1121H347833Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the LORD, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.H3478H2205H7860H8199H5975H727H3548H3881H5375H727H1285H3068H1616H249H2677H413H4136H2022H1630H2677H4136H2022H5858H4872H5650H3068H6680H7223H1288H5971H347834Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.H310H7121H1697H8451H1293H7045H3789H5612H845135Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.H1697H4872H6680H3091H7121H6951H3478H802H2945H1616H1980H7130
Psalms 66
66[For the choir director: A song. A psalm.] Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!H5329H7892H4210H7321H430H7762Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.H2167H3519H8034H7760H8416H35193Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.H559H430H3372H4639H7230H5797H341H35844Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.” InterludeH776H7812H2167H2167H8034H55425Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!H3212H7200H4659H430H3372H5949H1121H1206He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him.H2015H3220H3004H5674H5104H7272H80557For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance. InterludeH4910H1369H5769H5869H6822H1471H5637H7311H7311H55428Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.H1288H430H5971H6963H8416H80859Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.H7760H5315H2416H5414H7272H413210You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.H430H974H6884H3701H688411You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.H935H4686H7760H4157H497512Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance.H582H7392H7218H935H784H4325H3318H731013Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you—H935H1004H5930H7999H508814yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble.H8193H6475H6310H1696H686215That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma, and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. InterludeH5927H5930H4220H7004H352H6213H1241H6260H554216Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.H3212H8085H3373H430H5608H6213H531517For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.H7121H6310H7311H7318H8478H395618If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.H7200H205H3820H136H808519But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.H403H430H8085H7181H6963H860520Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.H1288H430H5493H8605H2617
Dublin, OH
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.H4428
