Joshua 7
1 The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
But the children of Israel committed a trespass on the devoted things; for 'Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted things: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to 'Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and said unto them, thus, Go up and spy out the country. And the men went up and spied out 'Ai.
3 On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”
And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite 'Ai: do not fatigue all the people [to go] thither; for they are but few.
4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of 'Ai.
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
And the men of 'Ai smote of them about thirty and six men; and they chased them from before the gate unto the stone-quarries, and smote them on the declivity [of the hill]; wherefore the heart of the people melted, and became as water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he with the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their head.
7 “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Eternal, wherefore hast thou caused this people to pass over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Emorites, to destroy us? and oh! that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
I pray thee, O Lord, what shall I say, since Israel have turned their back before their enemies!
9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
And when the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, they will environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?
10 But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face.
11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I have commanded them; and they have also taken of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and have also dissembled, and they have also put it into their own vessels.
12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
Therefore will the children of Israel not be able to stand up before their enemies; their back will they turn before their enemies, because they have become accursed: I will not be any more with you, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
Rise up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; for thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, An accursed thing is in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou shalt not be able to stand up before thy enemies, until ye have removed the accursed from among you.
14 In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
And ye shall be brought near in the morning according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord will seize shall come near according to its families; and the family which the Lord will seize shall come near by households; and the household which the Lord shall seize will come near by its men.
15 The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
And it shall be, that he that is seized with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he, and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought wickedness in Israel.
16 So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was seized;
17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
And he brought near the family of Judah, and he seized the family of the Zarchites; and he brought near the family of the Zarchites by its men, and Zabdi was seized;
18 And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
And he brought near his household by its men, and 'Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah, was seized.
19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
And Joshua said unto 'Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me, I pray thee, what thou hast done: hide nothing from me.
20 “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
And 'Achan answered Joshua, and said, Truly! I have indeed sinned against the Lord the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
I saw among the spoil a handsome Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels in weight, and I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver beneath the same.
22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
Joshua thereupon sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver beneath it.
23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and they laid them out before the Lord.
24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
And Joshua took 'Achan the son of Zerach, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his ox, and his ass, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and all Israel were with him, and they brought them up unto the valley of 'Achor.
25 “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
And Joshua said, How hast thou troubled us! so shall the Lord trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burnt them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
26 And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
And they raised over him a great heap of stones [which is] unto this day; and the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of 'Achor, unto this day.
