After the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh said to Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, saying,

Every place that the soles of your feet will tread, I have given it to you, as I promised to Moses.

From the wilderness {and the Lebanon}, up to the great river, the river Euphrates, all of the land of the Hittites, and up to {the great sea in the west}, will be your territory.

No one will stand before you all the days of your life. [Just] as I was with Moses, [so] will I be with you; I will not fail you, and I will not forsake you.

The scroll of this law will not depart from your mouth; you will meditate on it day and night so that {you may observe diligently all that is written} in it. For then you will succeed [in] your ways and prosper.

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

"Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people: 'Prepare your provisions; {in} three days you [are to] cross the Jordan to go possess the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving you to possess.'"

To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said,

Your wives, your little children, and your livestock, they will remain in the land that Moses gave to you beyond the Jordan. {All of the best fighting men} will cross armed in front of your families; they will help you

until Yahweh gives rest to your families as well as to you. They will take possession of the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to them. Then you will return to your own land and take possession of it, [the land] that Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan {to the east}."

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men from Acacia Grove [as] spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name [was] Rahab, and {spent the night} there.

The king of Jericho was told, "Look, [some] men from the {Israelites} have come here tonight to search out the land."

And the king of Jericho sent [for] Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who came to you, the ones who have entered your house, for they have come to search out the whole land."

(But she had taken them to the roof and had hidden them {in the stalks of flax} that she {had spread out} on the roof.)

and said to the men, "I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away [in fear] because of your presence.

For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the {Red Sea} before you when you went out from Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that [were] beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

We heard [this], and our hearts melted, and {no courage was left in anyone} because of your presence. For Yahweh your God [is] God in the heavens above and on the earth below.

So then please swear to me by Yahweh, because {I have shown loyalty to you}, and {you will also show loyalty} {to my family}. You must give me a sign of good faith,

And the men said to her, "{Our lives for yours}. If you do not report this business of ours, {we will show you loyalty and faithfulness} when Yahweh gives us the land."

Then she lowered them with a rope through the window, as her house [was] on the outer side of the wall, and she [was] residing in the wall.

The men said to her, "We [will be] released from this oath of yours that you made us swear.

If anyone goes outside the doors of your house, {they will be responsible for their own death}, and we [will be] innocent. Anyone who will be with you in the house, {we will be responsible for their death} {if a hand is laid on them}.

But if you report this business of ours, we will be released from your oath that you made us swear."

The two men returned and went down from the mountain, and they crossed [over] and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him everything that happened to them.

They said to Joshua, "Surely Yahweh has given all the land into our hand; also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away [in fear] because of our presence."

At the end of the three days the officers passed through the midst of the camp,

and they commanded the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God you must set out from your place and go after it.

[But] there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on [this] way {before}."

And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross [over] {ahead of the people}." And they took up the ark of the covenant and went {ahead of the people}.

Then Yahweh said to Joshua, "This day I will begin exalting you {in the sight} of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you.

You will command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, 'At the moment that you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand [still] in the Jordan.'"

And Joshua said to the {Israelites}, "Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God."

Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth [is about to] cross [over] ahead of you into the Jordan.

So then, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, {one from each tribe}.

When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off {upstream}, and they will stand [still in] one heap.

And it happened, when the people set out from their tents to cross [over] the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were {ahead of the people}.

When those carrying the ark came up to the Jordan, and the priests carrying the ark dipped their feet in the edge of the water (the Jordan was flowing over its banks during all the days of harvest),

the waters flowing down from above stood [still]; they stood up [in] one heap very far from Adam, the city that [is] beside Zarethan, while [the waters] flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, {were completely cut off}; and the people crossed [over] opposite Jericho.

And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on the dry land in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation finished crossing the Jordan.

and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you, and set them up in {the place where you will camp tonight}.'"

And Joshua said to them, "Cross [over] before the ark of Yahweh your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each one of you lift up a stone on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the {Israelites},

you will say to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off {from before} the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be as a memorial for the {Israelites} for eternity."

Thus the {Israelites} did as Joshua commanded. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as Yahweh told Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the {Israelites}, and they carried them over with them to {the camp}, and they put them there.

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant [stood], and they are there to this day.

The priests carrying the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was finished, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hastily crossed [over].

And it happened, when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed [over] in front of the people.

The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed [over] armed before the {Israelites}, as Moses told them.

About forty thousand armed for fighting crossed [over] before the presence of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle.

On that day Yahweh exalted Joshua {in the sight} of all Israel, and they respected him as they respected Moses all the days of his life.

"Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony {to come up} from the Jordan."

And it happened that when the priests carrying the ark came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet {touched dry land}, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.

And the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho.

And he said to the {Israelites}, "When your children ask in the future {their parents}, '{What is the meaning of these stones}?'

For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God did to the {Red Sea}, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over,

so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh [is] strong, so that you may fear Yahweh your God {forever}."

And it happened, when all the kings of the Amorites who [were] beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who [were] by the sea heard that Yahweh dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of the {Israelites} until they crossed [over], their hearts melted, and {there was no courage left in them} because of the presence of the {Israelites}.

At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, "Make for yourself knives of flint, and circumcise the {Israelites} a second time."

So Joshua made knives of flint, and he circumcised the {Israelites} at the hill of the foreskins.

For forty years the {Israelites} traveled in the wilderness until all the nation, the warriors that left Egypt, perished, because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. To them Yahweh swore that they would not see the land that he swore to their ancestors to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you." Therefore, the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

And the {Israelites} camped at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho.

On the next day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted corn.

And the manna ceased the day after, when they [started] eating the produce of the land, and there was no longer manna for the {Israelites}. They ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year.

And he said, "Neither. I have come now [as] the commander of Yahweh's army." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and {he bowed down} and said to him, "What [is] my lord commanding his servant?"

The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you [are] standing [is] holy." And Joshua did so.

Now Jericho [was] shut up inside and out because of the presence of the {Israelites}; no one was going out or coming in.

And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Look, I am giving Jericho into your hand, its king and the soldiers of the army.

And seven priests will bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow on the trumpets.

And when they blow long on the horn of the ram, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people will shout [with] a great war cry, and the wall of the city will fall flat, and {the people will charge, each one straight ahead}."

So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry the trumpets of the rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh."

And he said to the people, "Go forward and march around the city, and let the armed [men] pass before the ark of Yahweh.

{And when Joshua spoke} to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the presence of Yahweh went forward and they blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed behind them.

And the ark of Yahweh went around the city, {circling once}, and they came [into] the camp and spent the night in the camp.

Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh.

The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of the rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually, and they blew on the trumpets. And the armed [men] went before them, and [the] rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh, while the trumpets blew continually.

As for you, keep [away] from the things devoted to destruction so that you do not take them and bring about your own destruction, making the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it.

But all of the silver and gold, and the items of bronze and iron, [are] holy to Yahweh, and they must go to Yahweh's treasury."

So the people shouted, and they blew on the trumpets. And when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell flat. {The people charged, each one straight ahead into the city}, and they captured it.

And they utterly destroyed {by the edge of the sword} all who [were] in the city, both men and women, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey.

So the young men who were spies went and brought Rahab and her father and mother, her brothers, and all who were with her. And they brought all her family out and set them outside the camp of Israel.

And they burned the city and all that [was] in it with fire; they put only the silver and gold, and the items of copper and iron, [into] the treasury of the house of Yahweh.

But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute {and her family} and all who [were] with her, and she has lived in the midst of Israel until this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

And Joshua swore at that time, saying, "Cursed [is] anyone before Yahweh who gets up and builds Jericho, this city. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates."

But the {Israelites} broke faith concerning the devoted things. Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the devoted things; and {Yahweh's anger was kindled} against the {Israelites}.

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho [to] Ai, which [is] near Beth Aven, east of Bethel, and he said to them, "Go up and spy out Ai." And the men went up and spied out Ai.

So about three thousand from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, and they chased them from the gate up to Shebarim and killed them on the slope. And the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

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

And Joshua said, "Ah, my Lord! Why did you bring this people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content and stayed beyond the Jordan.

The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear [of this], and they will surround us and cut off our name from the land. What will you do, for your great name?"

Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: "[There are] devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before you enemies until you remove the devoted things from your midst."

The one caught with the devoted things will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because {he transgressed the covenant} of Yahweh, and because he did a disgraceful thing in Israel." '"

So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought forward Israel, {tribe by tribe}, and the tribe of Judah was selected by lot.

And he brought forward the clans of Judah and selected the clan of the Zerahites by lot. Then he brought forward the clan of the Zerahites, one by one, and Zabdi was selected by lot.

He brought forward his family, one by one, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected by lot.

And Joshua said to Achan, "My son, please, give glory to Yahweh the God of Israel, and give him a doxology in court. Tell me, please, what you have done; do not hide [it] from me."

And Achan answered Joshua and said, "It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh the God of Israel, and this is what I did:

I saw among the spoil a beautiful robe from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold [that] weighed fifty shekels; I coveted them and took them. They [are] hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver [is] under it."

And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the {Israelites}. And they spread them out before the presence of Yahweh.

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle and donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that [was] his, and they brought them [to] the valley of Achor.