7. Then he ordered the people to start marching round the city, with an advance guard going on ahead of the Lord's Covenant Box.
8-9. So, just as Joshua had ordered, an advance guard started out ahead of the priests who were blowing trumpets; behind these came the priests who were carrying the Covenant Box, followed by a rearguard. All this time the trumpets were sounding.
10. But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order.
11. So he told this group of men to take the Lord's Covenant Box round the city once. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there.
12-13. Joshua got up early the next morning, and for the second time the priests and soldiers marched round the city in the same order as the day before: first, the advance guard; next, the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets; then, the priests carrying the Lord's Covenant Box; and finally, the rearguard. All this time the trumpets were sounding.
14. On this second day they again marched round the city once and then returned to camp. They did this for six days.
15. On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched seven times round the city in the same way — this was the only day that they marched round it seven times.
16. The seventh time round, when the priests were about to sound the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people to shout, and he said, “The Lord has given you the city!
17. The city and everything in it must be totally destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only the prostitute Rahab and her household will be spared, because she hid our spies.
18. But you are not to take anything that is to be destroyed; if you do, you will bring trouble and destruction on the Israelite camp.
19. Everything made of silver, gold, bronze, or iron is set apart for the Lord. It is to be put in the Lord's treasury.”
20. So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it.
21. With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
22. Joshua then told the two men who had served as spies, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring her and her family out, as you promised her.”