But the woman hid the two men and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine, but I didn’t know where they came from.

Then the two men returned – they came down from the hills, crossed the river, came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered.

They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us! All who live in the land are cringing before us!”

Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River, wade into the water.’”

So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

When the entire nation was on the other side, the Lord told Joshua,

He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.”

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have taken away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” So that place is called Gilgal even to this day.

So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho.

The Lord told Joshua, “See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, along with its king and its warriors.

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all.

The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams’ horns and Joshua told the army, “Give the battle cry, for the Lord is handing the city over to you!

But be careful when you are setting apart the riches for the Lord. If you take any of it, you will make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”

He then made Zabdi’s family approach man by man and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected.

Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:

Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai.