Feb 16 - Joshua 6-8
Joshua
1Now Jericho was closed as well as fortified, out of fear of the sons of Israel, and no one dared to depart or to enter2And the Lord said to Joshua: "Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and all the strong men3Have all the warriors circle the city once each day; you shall do so for six days4Then, on the seventh day, the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used on the jubilee, and they shall precede the ark of the covenant. And you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets5And when the voice of the trumpet sounds longer and with interruptions, and it increases in your ears, then all the people shall cry out together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the foundation, and they shall enter it, each from a place opposite where they are standing.6Then Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and he said to them, "Take the ark of the covenant, and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and advance before the ark of the Lord.7He also said to the people, "Go, and circle the city, armed, preceding the ark of the Lord.8And when Joshua had finished his words, and the seven priests sounded the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord9and all the armed soldiers went ahead, the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets grew louder everywhere10But Joshua had instructed the people, saying, "You shall not cry out, nor shall your voice be heard, and no word at all shall proceed from your mouth, until the day arrives on which I will say to you, ‘Cry out, and shout.’ 11Thus, the ark of the Lord circled the city once each day, and returning to the camp, it remained there12And so, with Joshua, arising in the night, the priests took the ark of the Lord13and seven of them took the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and they preceded the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, and the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and they were blaring the trumpets14And they circled the city on the second day, once, and they returned to the camp. They did so for six days15Then, on the seventh day, rising at first light, they circled the city, just as had been ordered, seven times16And at the seventh circling, when the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua said to all of Israel: "Shout! For the Lord has delivered the city to you17And let this city be anathema, with all the things that are within it, before the Lord. May only Rahab the harlot live, with all who are with her in the house. For she hid the messengers whom we sent18But you must be careful that you do not touch any of those things, as you have been instructed, for then you would be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel would be under sin and would be troubled19But whatever gold and silver there will be, and vessels of brass or of iron, let these be consecrated to the Lord and be stored in his treasuries.20Therefore, with all the people shouting, and the trumpets blaring, after the voice and the sound increased in the ears of the multitude, the walls promptly fell to ruin. And each one climbed up at the place which was opposite where he was. And they seized the city21And they put to death all who were in it, from man even to woman, from infant even to elder. Likewise, the oxen and sheep and donkeys, they struck down with the edge of the sword22But Joshua said to the two men who had been sent to explore, "Enter the house of the harlot woman, and bring her out, and all the things that are hers, just as you assured her by oath.23And the youths entered, and they led out Rahab, and her parents, also her brothers, and all her goods and kindred, and they caused them to dwell outside the camp24Then they set fire to the city and all the things that were within it, except the gold and silver, and the vessels of brass or of iron, which they consecrated into the treasury of the Lord.25Yet truly, Joshua caused Rahab the harlot, and her father’s household, and all she had, to survive. And they lived in the midst of Israel, even to the present day. For she hid the messengers, whom he had sent to explore Jericho. At that time, Joshua made an invocation, saying26"Cursed before the Lord is the man who will raise up and rebuild the city of Jericho! With his firstborn, may he lay its foundation, and with the last of his children, may he set up its gates.27And so the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was made known throughout all the land
1But the sons of Israel transgressed the commandment, and they usurped what was anathema. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took something from what was anathema. And the Lord became angry against the sons of Israel2And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Ai, which is beside Bethaven, toward the eastern region of the town of Bethel, he said to them, "Go up and explore the land." And they fulfilled his instruction, and they explored Ai3And returning, they said to him: "Let not the entire people go up. Instead, let two or three thousand men go out and destroy the city. Why should all the people be troubled without cause against enemies that are so very few?4Therefore, they went up with three thousand fighters. And they promptly turned their backs5and were struck down by the men of the city of Ai. And thirty-six men of them fell. And the adversaries pursued them from the gate, even as far as Shebarim. And they felled them as they were fleeing downward. And the heart of the people was struck with fear, and it melted like water6And truly, Joshua tore his garments, and he fell prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord, even until evening, both he and all the elders of Israel. And they cast dust upon their heads7And Joshua said: "Alas, O Lord God! Why would you want to lead this people over the river Jordan, so that you might deliver us into the hand of the Amorite and destroy us? I wish that we had remained beyond the Jordan, as when we began8My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning their backs to their enemies9The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and coming together as one, they will surround us, and they will wipe our name from the earth. And what will you do concerning your great name?10And the Lord said to Joshua: "Rise up. Why are you lying flat on the ground11Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant. And they have taken from what is anathema. And they have stolen and lied, and they have hidden it among their goods12Israel is not able to stand before his enemies, and he will flee from them. For he has been defiled by what is anathema. I will be no longer be with you, until you destroy him who is guilty of this wickedness13Rise up. Sanctify the people. And you shall say to them: ‘Be sanctified tomorrow. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: That which is anathema is in your midst, O Israel! You are not able to stand before your enemies, until he who has been contaminated by this wickedness is taken away from you.14And you shall draw near in the morning, each one by your tribes. And whichever tribe will be found by lot shall come forward by its families, and the families by houses, and the house by the men15And whoever he may be that will be found guilty of this deed, he shall be burnt with fire with all his substance. For he transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and he committed a wicked act in Israel.16And so Joshua, rising in the morning, brought forth Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was found17And when its families had been presented, the family of Zerah was found. Likewise, bringing that one forward by the houses, he discovered Zabdi18And dividing his house by each man, he found Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah19And Joshua said to Achan: "My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess, and reveal to me what you have done. You may not conceal it.20And Achan responded to Joshua, and he said to him: "Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and I have done one thing and another21For I saw among the spoils a very fine scarlet cloak, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold bar of fifty shekels. And coveting these, I took and hid them in the ground near the middle of my tent, and I covered the silver with the soil that I had dug.22Therefore, Joshua sent ministers, who, running to his tent, discovered everything hidden in the same place, together with the silver23And taking these from the tent, they brought them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they cast them down before the Lord24And so Joshua took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the gold bar, also his sons and daughters, the oxen and donkeys and sheep, and even the tent and all his goods, (and all of Israel went with him,) and he brought these to the valley of Achor25There, Joshua said: "Because you have troubled us, the Lord troubles you, on this day." And all of Israel stoned him. And all the things that were his were consumed by fire26And they gathered upon him a great pile of stones, which remains even to the present day. And the fury of the Lord was averted from them. And the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor, even to this day
1Then the Lord said to Joshua: "You should not fear, and you should not dread. Take with you the entire multitude of fighters, and rising up, ascend to the town of Ai. Behold, I have delivered into your hand its king and people, and the city and the land2And you shall do to the city of Ai, and to its king, just as you did to Jericho, and to its king. Yet truly, the spoils, and all the living things, you shall plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.3And Joshua rose up, and the entire army of warriors with him, so that they might ascend against Ai. And he sent thirty thousand elect strong men in the night4And he instructed them, saying: "Set an ambush behind the city. You shall withdraw not far away, and let everyone be prepared5But I and the remainder of the multitude that is with me will approach from the opposite side of the city. And when they come out against us, we will flee and turn our backs, just as we did before6until, pursuing us, they are drawn away from the city. For they will think that we are fleeing as before7Then, while we are fleeing and they are pursuing, you shall rise up from the ambush, and you shall lay waste to the city. And the Lord your God will deliver it into your hands8And when you have seized it, set it on fire. And you shall do all that I have ordered.9And he sent them away, and they traveled to the place of the ambush, and they settled between Bethel and Ai, toward the western region of the city of Ai. But Joshua remained for that night in the midst of the people10And rising at first light, he reviewed his troops, and he went up, with the elders at the front of the army, surrounded by an auxiliary of fighters11And when they had arrived, and had ascended from the opposite side of the city, they stood toward the northern region of the city. And there was a valley in the middle, between them and the city12Now he had chosen five thousand men, and he had positioned them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, at the western part of the same city13Yet truly, all the remainder of the army was arranged in a line to the north, so that the very end of that multitude reached to the western region of the city. Then Joshua went out that night, and he stood in the middle of the valley14And when the king of Ai had seen this, he hurried in the morning, and he went out with the entire army of the city. And he arranged them in a line opposite the desert, not knowing that an ambush lay hidden behind his back15Yet truly, Joshua, and all of Israel, withdrew from the place, pretending to be afraid, and fleeing along the way of the wilderness16And they pursued them, shouting together and encouraging one another. And when they had withdrawn from the city17and indeed not one remained in the city of Ai and of Bethel who did not pursue after Israel, (leaving the towns open after they had rushed out,18the Lord said to Joshua: "Lift up the shield that is in your hand, toward the city of Ai. For I will deliver it to you.19And when he had lifted up the shield toward the city, the ambush, which lay hidden, rose up quickly. And advancing to the city, they seized it, and set it on fire20Now the men of the city who were pursuing Joshua, looking back and seeing the smoke of the city rising up even to heaven, were no longer able to flee in one direction or another, especially since those who had pretended to flee, and who were heading toward the wilderness, had turned back very strongly against those who were pursuing them21And Joshua, and all of Israel, seeing that the city had been captured, and that the smoke of the city was ascending, returned and struck down the men of Ai22Then too, those who had seized and set the city on fire, departing from the city toward their own men, began to strike the enemies in the middle. Therefore, since the adversaries were cut off from both sides, none of so great a multitude was saved23Also, they apprehended the king of the city of Ai, alive, and they brought him before Joshua24And so, after all were slain who had pursued Israel fleeing toward the wilderness, and after they fell by the sword in the same place, the sons of Israel returned and struck the city25Now there were twelve thousand persons who had fallen on the same day, from man even to woman, the entire city of Ai26Truly Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out on high, keeping hold of the shield until all the inhabitants of Ai were put to death27Then the sons of Israel divided among themselves the cattle and the plunder of the city, just as the Lord had instructed Joshua28And he set fire to the city, and he caused it to be a perpetual tomb29Also, he suspended the king on a gallows, until evening and the setting of the sun. And Joshua instructed, and they took down his dead body from the hanging tree. And they cast it at the very entrance of the city, gathering a great pile of stones upon it, which remains even to the present day30Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal31just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed to the sons of Israel, and this was written in the book of the law of Moses: truly, an altar of uncut stones, which iron has not touched. And he offered holocausts upon it to the Lord, and he immolated victims as peace-offerings32And he wrote on the stones, the Deuteronomy of the law of Moses, which he had set in order before the sons of Israel33Then all the people, and those greater by birth, and the commanders and judges were standing on both sides of the ark, in the sight of the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with both the new arrival and the native born, one half part of them beside Mount Gerizim, and one half beside Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed. And first, certainly, he blessed the people of Israel34After this, he read all the words of the blessing and the cursing, and all the things that were written in the book of the law35He left nothing untouched out of those things that Moses had ordered, and he repeated everything before the entire multitude of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and the new arrivals who were staying among them