< Joshua 7 >
1 But the sons of Israel committed a trespass in what was set apart. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from what was set apart, and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the sons of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai. Do not make all the people to toil there, for they are but few.
4 So there went up there of the people about three thousand men. And they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men. And they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and smote them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6 And Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O lord Jehovah, why have thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? Would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan!
8 Oh, Lord, what shall I say after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will encompass us around, and cut off our name from the earth, and what will thou do for thy great name?
10 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Get thee up. Why are thou thus fallen upon thy face?
11 Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken from what was set apart, and have also stolen, and also dissembled. And they have even put it among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies because they have become accursed. I will not be with you any more unless ye destroy what was set apart from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow. For thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is what has been set apart in the midst of thee, O Israel. Thou cannot stand before thine enemies until ye take away the devoted thing from among you.
14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes, and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah takes shall come near by families, and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households, and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man.
15 And it shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he has wrought folly in Israel.
16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17 And he brought near the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zerahites. And he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what thou have done. Hide it not from me.
20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonian mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them. And, behold, they are hid in the ground in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. And, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they laid them down before Jehovah.
24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, Why have thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day, and Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called the valley of Achor to this day.
