Bible Verses About Sieges

When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks, to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.

But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.

And consume thee in all thy cities, and thy strong and high wall be brought down, wherein thou trustedst in all thy land. Thou shalt be besieged within thy gates in all thy land which the Lord thy God will give thee:

Now Jericho was close shut up and fenced, for fear of the children of Israel, and no man durst go out or come in.

And the Lord said to Joshua: Behold I have given into thy hands Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the valiant men.

Go round about the city all ye fighting men once a day: so shall ye do for six days.

And on the seventh day the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and shall go before the ark of the covenant: and you shall go about the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.

And when the voice of the trumpet shall give a longer and broken tune, and shall sound in your ears, all the people shall shout together with a very great shout, and the walls of the city shall fall to the ground, and they shall enter in every one at the place against which they shall stand.

Then Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and said to them: Take the ark of the covenant: and let seven other priests take the seven trumpets of the jubilee, and march before the ark of the Lord.

And he said to the people: Go, and compass the city, armed, marching before the ark of the Lord.

And when Joshua had ended his words, and the seven priests blew the seven trumpets before the ark of the covenant of the Lord,

And all the armed men went before, the rest of the common people followed the ark, and the sound of the trumpets was heard on all sides.

But Joshua had commanded the people, saying: You shall not shout, nor shall your voice be heard, nor any word go out of your mouth: until the day come wherein I shall say to you: Cry, and shout.

So the ark of the Lord went about the city once a day, and returning into the camp, abode there.

And Joshua rising before day, the priests took the ark of the Lord,

And seven of them seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee: and they went before the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets: and the armed men went before them, and the rest of the common people followed the ark, and they blew the trumpets.

And they went round about the city the second day once, and returned into the camp. So they did six days.

But the seventh day, rising up early, they went about the city, as it was ordered, seven times.

And when in the seventh going about the priests sounded with the trumpets, Joshua said to all Israel: Shout: for the Lord hath delivered the city to you:

And let this city be an anathema, and all things that are in it, to the Lord. Let only Rahab, the harlot, live, with all that are with her in the house: for she hid the messengers whom we sent.

But beware ye lest you touch ought of those things that are forbidden, and you be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel be under sin, and be troubled.

But whatsoever gold or silver there shall be, or vessels of brass and iron, let it be consecrated to the Lord, laid up in his treasures.

So all the people making a shout, and the trumpets sounding, when the voice and the sound thundered in the ears of the multitude, the walls forthwith fell down: and every man went up by the place that was over against him: and they took the city,

And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Hai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of the town of Bethel, he said to them: Go up, and view the country: and they fulfilled his command, and viewed Hai.

And returning, they said to him: Let not all the people go up, but let two or three thousand men go, and destroy the city: why should all the people be troubled in vain, against enemies that are very few?