The Lord said to Joshua, “I’ve given you Jericho, its king, and its army.” He then gave exact orders on how Jericho was to be conquered.

When the day arrived, Joshua arranged the people. He had part of the army take the lead. Behind them, he put seven priests who were to blow ram’s-horn trumpets. The Ark of God was behind them. The rest of the army followed the Ark. Joshua told the people, “Don’t say one word as you march around the city.”

As they marched around the city, the priests blew the trumpets, but the people were silent. Once they had circled the city, they returned to their camp and spent the night.

They did the same thing the second day and the third. They repeated this march around the city for six days. 

Early on the seventh day, Joshua told the people to follow the same procedure, except on this day they were to circle the city seven times. He said, “After we have marched around the city seven times, I will tell you to shout. The Lord will then give you the city. All the people and animals in the city are to die, except Rahab and her family.

“You’re to burn everything, except the gold, silver, and things made of bronze and iron. These are to be set aside for the Lord. Be careful! Don’t take anything that is set aside for the Lord, or you will be set aside for destruction.”

So that day the people marched quietly around the city seven times while the priests blew the trumpets.  After the seventh time, everyone stopped. 

Suddenly the priests blew the trumpets one more time and Joshua yelled, “Shout!” The people shouted, and the walls of the city fell down in front of them. The army of Israel marched straight into the city and destroyed it. The two spies that Rahab had protected immediately went to her house. They brought her and her family out of the city alive. Everyone else in the city was killed and everything was burned, except the gold, silver, and things made of bronze and iron.

Joshua then proclaimed a curse on the city of Jericho. He said, “Any man who rebuilds this city will lose both his firstborn son and his youngest son.”

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

Rahab and her family were put in a safe place outside of the camp of Israel. Eventually she married an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. In time, they had a son named Boaz.