the waters of Jarkon, and Rakkon, including the territory in front of Joppa.

All the people, ¹  rulers, ²  leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. ³  Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony. ⁴ 

It crossed to the slope in front of the Arabah to the north and descended into the Arabah.

Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. ¹ 

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns ¹  in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and instructed them, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests must carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.”

When Joshua was near ¹  Jericho, ²  he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. ³  Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” ⁴ 

Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes.

Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord by turning back today from following after the Lord by building an altar for burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace ¹  aside from the altar of the Lord our God located in front of his dwelling place!” ² 

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ¹  and defeated them on the steep slope. ²  The people’s ³  courage melted away like water. ⁴ 

Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.

So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ¹  ahead of them.

All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. ¹  They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley. ² 

and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed as the people looked on. ¹ 

Their border went up westward to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth and the valley near ¹  Jokneam.

The seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord marched along blowing their horns. Armed troops marched ahead of them, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark of the Lord blowing rams’ horns.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them.

And he told ¹  the army, ²  “Move ahead ³  and march around the city, with armed troops going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

Armed troops marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark blowing rams’ horns.

The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel: ¹  “O sun, stand still over Gibeon! O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”