1 Meanwhile, the people of Jericho had been locking the gates in their town wall because they were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go out or come in.
2-3 The Lord said to Joshua:
With my help, you and your army will defeat the king of Jericho and his army, and you will capture the town. Here is how to do it: March slowly around Jericho once a day for six days. 4 Take along the sacred chest and tell seven priests to walk in front of it, carrying trumpets.
But on the seventh day, march slowly around the town seven times while the priests blow their trumpets. 5 Then the priests will blast on their trumpets, and everyone else will shout. The wall will fall down, and your soldiers can go straight in from every side.
6 Joshua called the priests together and said, “Take the chest and tell seven priests to carry trumpets and march ahead of it.”
7-10 Next, he gave the army their orders: “March slowly around Jericho. A few of you will go ahead of the chest to guard it, but most of you will follow it. Don't shout the battle cry or yell or even talk until the day I tell you to. Then let out a shout!”
As soon as Joshua finished giving the orders, the army started marching. One group of soldiers led the way, with seven priests marching behind them and blowing trumpets. Then came the priests carrying the chest, followed by the rest of the soldiers. 11 They obeyed Joshua's orders and carried the chest once around the town before returning to camp for the night.
12-14 Early the next morning, Joshua and everyone else started marching around Jericho in the same order as the day before. One group of soldiers was in front, followed by the seven priests with trumpets and the priests who carried the chest. The rest of the army came next. The seven priests blew their trumpets while everyone marched slowly around Jericho and back to camp. They did this once a day for six days.
15 On the seventh day, the army got up at daybreak. They marched slowly around Jericho the same as they had done for the past six days, except on this day they went around seven times. 16 Then the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua yelled:
Get ready to shout! The Lord will let you capture this town. 17 But you must destroy it and everything in it, to show that it now belongs to the Lord. The woman Rahab helped the spies we sent, so protect her and the others who are inside her house. But kill everyone else in the town. 18-19 The silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron belong to the Lord and must be put in his treasury. Be careful to follow these instructions, because if you see something you want and take it, the Lord will destroy Israel. And it will be all your fault.
20 The priests blew their trumpets again, and the soldiers shouted as loud as they could. The walls of Jericho fell flat. Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it. 21-25 They killed everyone, men and women, young and old, everyone except Rahab and the others in her house. They even killed every cow, sheep, and donkey.
Joshua said to the two men who had been spies, “Rahab kept you safe when I sent you to Jericho. We promised to protect her and her family, and we will keep that promise. Now go into her house and bring them out.”
The two men went into Rahab's house and brought her out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and her other relatives. Rahab and her family had to stay in a place just outside the Israelite army camp. But later they were allowed to live among the Israelites, and her descendants still do.
The Israelites took the silver and gold and the things made of bronze and iron and put them with the rest of the treasure that was kept at the Lord's house. Finally, they set fire to Jericho and everything in it.
26 After Jericho was destroyed, Joshua warned the people, “Someday a man will rebuild Jericho, but the Lord will put a curse on him, and the man's oldest son will die when he starts to build the town wall. And by the time he finishes the wall and puts gates in it, all his children will be dead.”
27 The Lord helped Joshua in everything he did, and Joshua was famous everywhere in Canaan.
Etopoko lyaJeriko
1 Omiyelo dhaJeriko odha li dha patwa nodha langelwa, opo Aaisraeli ya keelelwe. Kapwa li nando ogumwe ta vulu okuya mo nenge okuza mo. 2 Omuwa okwa ti kuJosua: “Jeriko otandi shi gandja miikaha yoye nomukwaniilwa gwasho naakwiita yasho oofule. 3 Ongoye naakwiita yoye omu na okudhingoloka oshilando esiku kehe momasiku gahamano. (Ongoye naakwiita yoye omu na okudhingoloka oshilando esiku kehe momasiku gahamano.) 4 Aayambi naa kale yaheyali ya tya oombenda ya tetekela oshikethahangano. Mesiku etiheyali ongoye naakwiita yoye otamu dhingoloka oshilando luheyali, manga aayambi taa hiki oombenda. 5 Nena shaa ya hiki omunzinzi omule, nongele mwe shi uvu, nena aantu ayehe naa kugilile, nedhingililokuma lyoshilando otali ka kumuka po. Nena etangakwiita alihe otali ningine moshilando.”
6 Josua okwi ithana aayambi e ta ti kuyo: “Kutheni oshikethahangano, nayaheyali yomune naa tetekele komeho ya tya oombenda.” 7 Nena okwa lombwele aantu ye, ya tameke okudhingoloka oshilando noshikethahangano sha tetekelwa kaalangeli.
8-9 Ngaashi Josua e ya lombwele, aalangeli oya tameke okutetekela aayambi mboka taa hiki oombenda. Konima yawo okwa li aayambi mboka ya humbata oshikethahangano noya landulwa kaatonateli. Ethimbo alihe oombenda odha li tadhi hikwa. 10 Ihe Josua okwa li a lombwele aantu ye, yaaha kugilile noyaa tye sha, sigo te ya lombwele. 11 Osho nduno a lombwele ongundu yaantu ye, ya kuthe po oshikethahangano, ya dhingoloke lumwe oshilando. Opo ihe oya shuna kontanda e taa lala nkoka.
12-13 Josua okwa meneka ongula onene esiku lya landula, aayambi naakwiita oya dhingoloka oshilando melandulathano ndyoka ye shi ningi esiku lya tetekela: aalangeli, taku landula aayambi yaheyali taa hiki oombenda, nena aayambi ya humbata oshikethahangano nohugunina aatonateli. Ethimbo alihe oombenda odha li tadhi hikwa. 14 Esiku ndika etiyali oya dhingoloka oshilando ishewe lumwe e taa shuna kontanda. Shika oye shi ningi omasiku gahamano.
15 Mesiku etiheyali oya meneka petendo lyeluwa noya dhingoloka oshilando pamukalo ngoka luheyali — esiku ndika olyo alike ya dhingoloka oshilando luheyali. 16 Moshikando oshitiheyali manga aayambi ya hala okuhika oombenda, Josua okwa lombwele aantu ye, ya kugilile, e ta ti: “Omuwa okwe mu pe oshilando shika! 17 Oshilando naashihe shoka shi li mo, nayi yonagulwe po, yi ninge omayambo gOmuwa. Shila ohonda Rahab noyaandjawo oyo ayeke taa hupu, oshoka okwa holeke oondaadhi dhetu. 18 Inamu ikuthila nando osha shoka shi na okuhanagulwa po. Ngele tamu shi ningi, otamu kongo oshipwe e tamu etitha ehanagulo montanda yaIsrael. 19 Oshisiliveli, oshingoli niinima ayihe yoshikushu noyosheela nayi yoololelwe Omuwa. Oyi na okutulwa meliko lyOmuwa.”
20 Aayambi oya hiki oombenda. Aantu sho ye dhi uvu, oya kugilile, nedhingililokuma olya kumuka po. Nena aakwiita oya matukile oshilando noye shi kwata po. 21 Oya dhipaga negongamwele kehe gumwe moshilando, aalumentu naakiintu, aagundjuka naakuluntu. Oya dhipaga wo iimuna, oonzi nuusino.
22 Josua okwa lombwele aalumentu mboka yaali ya ndaadhele oshilando: “Indeni megumbo lyohonda, mu yi ete naangandjawo ngashingeyi, ngaashi mwe yi uvanekelele.” 23 Oya yi noye eta Rahab, he, yina, aamwayina naanegumbo ye ayehe. Oye ya eta naapika yawo noye ya tula megameno popepi nontanda yaIsrael. 24 Oshilando oye shi tomeke omulilo noye shi lungunitha po ashihe niinima ayihe pamwe nasho, kakele kiinima ya ningwa moshingoli, oshisiliveli, oshikushu nosheela, mbyoka ya tulwa meliko lyOmuwa.
25 Ihe Josua okwa hupitha ohonda Rahab naanegumbo ye, oshoka okwa li a holeke oondaadhi ndhoka mbali a tumine kuJeriko. (Ombuto ye oyi li muIsrael Sigo onena.)
26 Esiku ndyoka Josua okwa tumbula eganolondodho ta ti: “Shaa ngoka ta kambadhala okutungulula Jeriko, na thingwe kOmuwa.
Ngoka ta fulu omukanka gwasho,
ota kanitha omwanamati osheeli;
Ngoka ta kula omiyelo dhasho,
ota kanitha omwanamati onkelo.”
27 Omuwa okwa li pamwe naJosua, nepopiwo lye olya taandele nevi alihe.
