Joshua 7
1 However, the Israelites had not been faithful regarding those things set apart for the Lord. Achan had taken some of them which made the Lord very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
But the children of Israel committed a great trespass, and purloined [part] of the accursed thing; and Achar the son of Charmi, the son of Zambri, the son of Zara, of the tribe of Juda, took of the accursed thing; and the Lord was very angry with the children of Israel.
2 Joshua sent men from the camp near Jericho to the town of Ai, which is near Bethaven, east of Bethel. “Go and explore the land,” he told them. So they went and explored around Ai.
And Joshua sent men to Gai, which is by Baethel, saying, Spy out Gai: and the men went up and spied Gai.
3 When they returned they told Joshua, “The whole army isn't needed. Two or three thousand men is enough to go and attack Ai. Don't bother sending everyone—there's only a few of them.”
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 take the city by siege: carry not up there the whole people, for [the enemy] are few.
4 So around three thousand men went to fight, but they were beaten by the men of Ai and they ran away.
And there went up about three thousand men, and they fled from before the men of Gai.
5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing the Israelites from the town gate until they were defeated, killing them on their way down. At this the Israelites became afraid, losing all their courage.
And the men of Gai killed of them to the number of thirty-six men, and they pursued them from the gate, and destroyed them from the steep hill; and the heart of the people was alarmed and became as water.
6 Joshua ripped his clothes and fell down with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord until the evening. The elders did likewise, and he and the elders threw dust on their heads.
And Joshua tore his garments; and Joshua fell on the earth on his face before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they cast dust on their heads.
7 Joshua cried, “Why, oh why, Lord God, did you bring us across the Jordan River only to hand us over to the Amorites for them to destroy us? We should have been satisfied to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
And Joshua said, I pray, Lord, therefore has your servant brought this people over Jordan to deliver them to the Amorite to destroy us? would we had remained and settled ourselves beyond Jordan.
8 Excuse me, Lord, but what can I say now that Israel has turned tail and run away from its enemies?
And what shall I say since Israel has turned his back before his enemy?
9 The Canaanites and everyone living in the land will come and surround us and wipe us out so completely that even our name will be forgotten. Then what will happen to your great reputation?”
And when the Chananite and all the inhabitants of the land hear it, they shall compass us round and destroy us from off the land: and what will you do [for] your great name?
10 But the Lord replied to Joshua, “Stand up! What do you think you're doing lying on your face like that?
And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise up; why have you fallen upon your face?
11 Israel has sinned and has broken my agreement that I ordered them to keep. They have taken some of the things set apart for me; they have acted dishonestly; they have hidden the stolen items with their own belongings.
The people has sinned, and transgressed the covenant which I made with them; they have stolen from the cursed thing, and put it into their store.
12 That's why the Israelites can't stand up to their enemies. That's why they turn and run from their enemies, and have themselves become set apart for destruction. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you have removed from among you those things set apart for destruction.
And the children of Israel will not be able to stand before their enemies; they will turn their back before their enemies, for they have become an accursed thing: I will not any longer be with you, unless you remove the cursed thing from yourselves.
13 Get up, and make sure the people are pure. Tell them, ‘Make yourselves pure in readiness for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, There are things set apart for me that are hidden among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove all of them.
Rise, sanctify the people and tell them to sanctify themselves for the morrow: thus says the Lord God of Israel, The accursed thing is amongst you; you shall not be able to stand before your enemies, until you shall have removed the cursed thing from amongst you.
14 In the morning, you will come forward, tribe by tribe. Whichever tribe the Lord chooses will come forward clan by clan. The clan that the Lord chooses will come forward family by family. The family that the Lord chooses will come forward man by man.
And you shall all be gathered together by your tribes in the morning, and it shall come to pass that the tribe which the Lord shall show, you shall bring by families; and the family which the Lord shall show, you shall bring by households; and the household which the Lord shall show, you shall bring man by man.
15 The one who is caught with what was set apart for destruction will be burned by fire, along with all that is his, for he broke the Lord's agreement and committed a terrible act in Israel.’”
And the man who shall be pointed out, shall be burnt with fire, and all that he has; because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and has wrought wickedness in Israel.
16 Joshua got up early the next morning and called Israel forward, tribe by tribe.
And Joshua rose up early, and brought the people by their tribes; and the tribe of Juda was pointed out.
17 The tribe of Judah was chosen. The clans of Judah came forward and the Zerahites were chosen. The clan of Zerahites came forward, and the family of Zabdi was chosen.
And it was brought by their families, and family of the Zaraites was pointed out.
18 The family of Zabdi came forward, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
And it was brought man by man, and Achar the son of Zambri the son of Zara was pointed out.
19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess. Tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me.”
And Joshua said to Achar, Give glory this day to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession; and tell me what you have done, and hide it not from me.
20 “It's true!” Achan replied. “I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did.
And Achar answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel: thus and thus have I done:
21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful cloak from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I really wanted them, so I took them. They're hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver buried deeper.”
I saw in the spoil an embroidered mantle, and two hundred didrachmas of silver, and one golden wedge of fifty didrachmas, and I desired them and took them; and, behold, they are hid in my tent, and the silver is hid under them.
22 Joshua sent men who ran over to search the tent. They found what had been hidden, with the silver buried deeper.
And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent into the camp; and these things were hidden in his tent, and the silver under them.
23 The men took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. There they spread them out before the Lord.
And they brought them out of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and the elders of Israel, and they laid them before the Lord.
24 Then Joshua, with all the Israelites, took Achan, the son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, together with his sons and daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, and his tent—everything he had—and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
And Joshua took Achar the son of Zara, and brought him to the valley of Achor, and his sons, and his daughters, and his calves, and his asses, and all his sheep, and his tent, and all his property, and all the people [were] with him; and he brought them to Emec Achor.
25 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why did you bring so much trouble down on us? Today the Lord will bring trouble down on you.” All the Israelites stoned Achan. Then when they had stoned the rest they burned their bodies.
And Joshua said to Achar, Why have you destroyed us? the Lord destroy you as at this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones.
26 They set up a great pile of stones over him which remains to this day. The Lord was no longer angry. This is why the place was called the Valley of Achor ever since.
And they set up over him a great heap of stones; and the Lord ceased from his fierce anger. Therefore he called the place Emecachor until this day.
