' These stones shall be a constant reminder to
the Israelites."

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded and took up out of the middle
of the Jordan twelve stones corresponding to the number of the tribes of
the Israelites. They carried them over with them to the place where they
camped and laid them down there.

Then the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and the river
overflowed all its banks as before.

THE CAPTURE OF JERICHO AND AI

Now Jericho had closed its gates because of the Israelites, and no one
went in or out. But Jehovah said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho
to you with its king and its able warriors. You shall march around the
city, all the soldiers going about the city once. You shall do this for
six days, and on the seventh day the people shall make the attack, each
man going up straight before him."

Then Joshua said to the people, "March around the city and let the armed
men pass on before the ark of Jehovah. You shall not shout the
battle-cry nor let your voice be heard; not a word shall escape from
your mouth until the day I say to you, 'Shout the battle-cry'; then you
shall shout!"

So he had the ark of Jehovah carried around the city once; then they
returned to the camp and spent the night there. The second day they also
marched around the city once and returned to the camp. Thus they did six
days. The seventh day they rose early at dawn and made the circuit of
the city in the same way, only on that day they marched about the city
seven times. The seventh time the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua
said to the people, "Shout the battle-cry; for Jehovah has given you the
city. The city and all that is in it shall be sacrificed to Jehovah;
only Rahab and those who are with her in her house shall live, because
she hid the messengers whom we sent."

So the people shouted the battle-cry and the wall fell down and they
went straight up into the city and captured it. But Joshua spared the
lives of Rahab and her father's family and all that she had, because she
hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to explore Jericho; and they have
lived among the Israelites even to this day.

Then Joshua set out with all the warriors to go up to Ai. And he
selected thirty thousand brave soldiers and sent them out at night with
this command, "Hide somewhere beyond the town, not very far from it, but
be ready to act. I and all the people who are with me will go toward the
town, but when they co