Joshua 7
1 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.
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men to Gai, which is by Baethel, saying, Spy out Gai: and the men went up and spied Gai.
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.” 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 take the city by siege: carry not up there the whole people, for [the enemy] are few.
They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.”
4 And there went up about three thousand men, and they fled from before the men of Gai.
So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 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.
The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.
6 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.
Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the LORD’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7 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.
Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!
8 And what shall I say since Israel has turned his back before his enemy?
Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
9 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?
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
10 And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise up; why have you fallen upon your face?
The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
11 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.
Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
12 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.
Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13 Rise, sanctify the people and tell them to sanctify themselves for the morrow: thus says the Lord God of Israel, The accursed thing is among you; you shall not be able to stand before your enemies, until you shall have removed the cursed thing from among you.
Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the LORD, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
14 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.
In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which the LORD selects shall come near by families. The family which the LORD selects shall come near by households. The household which the LORD selects shall come near man by man.
15 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.
It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the LORD’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
16 And Joshua rose up early, and brought the people by their tribes; and the tribe of Juda was pointed out.
So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
17 And it was brought by their families, and family of the Zaraites was pointed out.
He brought near the family of Judah, and he selected the family of the Zerahites. He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was selected.
18 And it was brought man by man, and Achar the son of Zambri the son of Zara was pointed out.
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 selected.
19 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.
Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Do not hide it from me!”
20 And Achar answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel: thus and thus have I done:
Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.
21 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.
When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 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.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23 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.
They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the LORD.
24 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.
Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
25 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.
Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26 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.
They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.
