A song I wrote inspired by the events described in the book of Joshua just before the destruction of Jericho. I was especially intrigued by the effect that Gibeath Haaraloth would have had on a fighting force made entirely of men. The tune idea came from Talking Dust Bowl Blues  by Woody Guthrie.

Joshua had been around,

Scouting out a foreign land,

Standing there right at Moses’ side.

He’d walked the walked for forty years,

Laughed the laughs and cried the tears.

Ready to be the leader and the guide.

And God said:

Be courageous and be strong

Don’t be terrified.

You’re going to have to lead them in this land

So speak the law and do not turn aside.

They cross the Jordan at first light.

The water piled up right out of sight.

Walked across completely on dry ground.

Some kings came up to fight a bit,

But when they heard ’bout what God did,

They shrank away without a sound.

And God said:

Be courageous and be strong.

You have to be circumcised.

Although your enemies are at hand,

Go cut your foreskins off with flint knives.

Feeling sore for a day or so,

They marched on up to Jericho:

It’s walls so thick: it would be a rout.

But God told them to get quiet,

March with trumpets and the ark,

On the seventh day everybody shout.

They were courageous and so strong.

They followed their instructions.

Jericho’s walls came tumbling down

And they completed it’s destruction.