The Skeptics Annotated Bible (209 page)

(6.13)
“And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually.”

14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

15 And it came to pass
on the seventh day
, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city
after the same manner seven times
: only on that day
they compassed the city seven times.

(6.15)
“On the seventh day … after the same manner seven times … they compassed the city seven times.”

16 And it came to pass
at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city
.

(6.16)
“At the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.”

17 And
the city shall be accursed
, even it,
and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live
, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

(6.17)
“The city shall be accursed … and all that therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live.”
God explains that Rahab is to be spared since she hid Joshua’s spies and lied to those who were searching for them (Joshua 2.4-5). But why was everyone else killed? Some of them were probably liars too.
86 Is it OK to lie?

(6.18-19) Keep away from the accursed thing. Whatever the hell that is. And be sure to save all the silver and gold for God!

18 And ye, in any wise
keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

(6.18)
“Keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”

19 But
all the silver, and gold
, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they
shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

(6.19)
“But all the silver, and gold … shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

20
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and
it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that
the wall fell down flat,
so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

(6.20)
“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and … the wall fell down flat.”

21 And
they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

(6.21)
“They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.”
God’s 31st Killing

22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.

23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.