Joshua 7
1 And the sons of Israel commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, takes from the devoted thing, and the anger of YHWH burns against the sons of Israel.
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.
2 And Joshua sends men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] near Beth-Aven, on the east of Bethel, and speaks to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land”; and the men go up and spy Ai,
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.
3 and they return to Joshua, and say to him, “Do not let all the people go up; let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up, and they strike Ai; do not cause all the people to labor there; for they [are] few.”
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.”
4 So about three thousand men of the people go up from there, and they flee before the men of Ai,
So around three thousand men went to fight, but they were beaten by the men of Ai and they ran away.
5 and the men of Ai strike about thirty-six men from them, and pursue them before the gate to Shebarim, and they strike them in Morad; and the heart of the people is melted, and becomes water.
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.
6 And Joshua tears his garments, and falls on his face to the earth before the Ark of YHWH until the evening, he and [the] elderly of Israel, and they cause dust to go up on their head.
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.
7 And Joshua says, “Aah! Lord YHWH, why have You caused this people to pass over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? And oh that we had been willing—and we dwell beyond the Jordan!
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!
8 Oh, Lord, what do I say, after that Israel has turned the neck before its enemies?
Excuse me, Lord, but what can I say now that Israel has turned tail and run away from its enemies?
9 And the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land hear, and have come around against us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what do You do for Your great Name?”
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?”
10 And YHWH says to Joshua, “Rise, for you—why this—[that] you [are] falling on your face?
But the Lord replied to Joshua, “Stand up! What do you think you're doing lying on your face like that?
11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, and also taken of the devoted thing, and also stolen, and also deceived, and also put [it] among their vessels,
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.
12 and the sons of Israel have not been able to stand before their enemies; they turn the neck before their enemies, for they have become a devoted thing; I do not add to be with you—if you do not destroy the devoted thing from your midst.
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.
13 Rise, sanctify the people, and you have said, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus said YHWH, God of Israel: A devoted thing [is] in your midst, O Israel, you are not able to stand before your enemies until your turning aside the devoted thing from your midst;
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.
14 and you have been brought near in the morning by your tribes, and it has been [that] the tribe which YHWH captures draws near by families, and the family which YHWH captures draws near by households, and the household which YHWH captures draws near by men;
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.
15 and it has been, he who is captured with the devoted thing is burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of YHWH, and because he has done folly in Israel.”
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.’”
16 And Joshua rises early in the morning, and brings Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah is captured;
Joshua got up early the next morning and called Israel forward, tribe by tribe.
17 and he brings the family of Judah near, and he captures the family of the Zerahite; and he brings the family of the Zerahite near by men, and Zabdi is captured;
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.
18 and he brings his household near by men, and Achan—son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah—is captured.
The family of Zabdi came forward, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
19 And Joshua says to Achan, “My son, please give glory to YHWH, God of Israel, and give thanks to Him, and now declare to me what you have done—do not hide [it] from me.”
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.”
20 And Achan answers Joshua and says, “Truly I have sinned against YHWH, God of Israel, and I have done thus and thus;
“It's true!” Achan replied. “I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did.
21 and I see among the spoil a good robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold, whose weight [is] fifty shekels, and I desire them, and take them; and behold, they [are] hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver [is] under it.”
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.”
22 And Joshua sends messengers, and they run to the tent, and behold, it is hidden in his tent, and the silver [is] under it;
Joshua sent men who ran over to search the tent. They found what had been hidden, with the silver buried deeper.
23 and they take them out of the midst of the tent, and bring them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and pour them out before YHWH.
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.
24 And Joshua takes Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, and the robe, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his ox, and his donkey, and his flock, and his tent, and all that he has, and all Israel with him, and they brought them up [to] the Valley of Achor.
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.
25 And Joshua says, “Why have you troubled us? YHWH troubles you this day!” And all Israel cast stone at him, and they burn them with fire, and they stone them with stones,
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.
26 and they raise up a great heap of stones over him to this day, and YHWH turns back from the heat of His anger, therefore [one] has called the name of that place “Valley of Achor” until this day.
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.
