Joshua 7
1 Yahweh had commanded that all the things [that they had captured in Jericho] should be [destroyed to show that they belong] to him. But there was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. He was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi and great-grandson of Zerah. He disobeyed [what] Yahweh [had commanded] and took for himself some of those things. So Yahweh was very angry with the Israelis.
But the sons of Israel had committed an act of unfaithfulness in respect of what was devoted, —for Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah had taken of what was devoted, and the anger of Yahweh had kindled against the sons of Israel.
2 Joshua told some of his men to go from Jericho to Ai [town], which was east of Bethel [city] and near Beth-Aven [town]. He said to them, “Go to Ai and (spy out the area/see what the area is like).” So the men went.
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai which was beside Beth-aven on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up, and spied out Ai.
3 When they returned to Joshua they said, “There are only a few people in Ai. So we do not need to send all of our soldiers to defeat them. Send 2.000 or 3,000 men to attack them. That will be enough.”
And they returned unto Joshua and said unto him—Let not all the people go up, about two thousand men or three thousand men, can go up and smite Ai, —do not weary the whole people to go thither, for, but few, they are.
4 So about 3,000 Israeli men went [to attack Ai]. But the men of Ai defeated them badly.
There went up thither of the people therefore, about three thousand men, —but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 They killed about 36 Israelis and chased the rest of Israeli men from the city gate to the bottom of the hill. When the other Israelis saw that this had happened, they became very discouraged.
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men, and pursued them before the gate as far as the Shebarim, and smote them on the slope, —so that the heart of the people melted and became as water.
6 Joshua and the other Israeli leaders tore their clothes [because they were very sad about being defeated]. They prostrated themselves on the ground in front of [the Sacred Tent in which was] the sacred chest. They stayed there until that evening. They also threw dirt on their heads [to show that they were very sad about what had happened].
Then Joshua rent his clothes and fell upon his face to the earth before the ark of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, —and they lifted up dust upon their heads.
7 Then Joshua prayed and said, “Lord God, you brought us Israelis [safely] across the Jordan River. So why are you now allowing the Amor people-group to defeat us [RHQ]? [This would not have happened] if we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan River!
And Joshua said—Alas! My Lord Yahweh! Wherefore hast thou, brought, this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? Would then we had been content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan!
8 Lord, we Israelis have been defeated by our enemies, so I do not know what to say now [RHQ].
Oh My Lord, —what shall I say, after Israel have turned their backs before their enemies?
9 The Canaan people-group and all the other people who are living in this land will hear about this. Then they will surround us and kill all of us! Then what will you do (to defend your reputation [MTY]/to show that you are a powerful God)?”
Only let the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land hear, and they will surround us, and cut off our name out of the earth, —what then wilt thou do for thy great name?
10 But Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stand up! Stop lying there with your face on the ground [RHQ]!
And Yahweh said unto Joshua—Get thee up! wherefore is it that thou art lying upon thy face?
11 You Israelis have sinned! You have disobeyed the commands that I told you to obey. [One of] your men has taken some of the things that I told you to destroy. He has stolen them and taken them for himself and lied [about it].
Israel hath sinned, yea moreover they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, —yea moreover they have taken of what was devoted, yea moreover they have stolen, yea moreover they have dissembled, yea moreover they have put it among their own goods.
12 That is why you Israelis have been unable to be strong when you went to attack your enemies. That is why you have run away from them. And now you yourselves may be destroyed. If you do not do as I commanded you and destroy everything [that you captured in Jericho] I will not help you any more!”
Therefore cannot the sons of Israel stand before their enemies, their back, do they turn before their enemies, because they have become devoted, —I will no more be with you, except ye destroy the devoted thing out of your midst.
13 “Now go and tell this to the people: ‘Tomorrow you must [perform the rituals that will] cause yourselves to become acceptable to Yahweh again. Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says that one of you has kept things that he told you to destroy. You will never defeat your enemies until you get rid of those things.
Up! hallow the people, and thou shalt say, Hallow yourselves by to-morrow, —for, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel: A devoted thing, is in the midst of thee O Israel, Thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye have put away the devoted thing out of your midst.
14 ‘Tomorrow morning you must present yourselves before Yahweh, tribe by tribe. Then Yahweh will indicate to which tribe [the man who took those things belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which clan from that tribe [the guilty man belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which family he belongs. And then he will indicate which person [in that family took those things].
Therefore shall ye be brought near in the morning by your tribes, —and it shall be that—the tribe which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, by families, and the family which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, by households, and the household which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, man by man;
15 Then the one who has taken some of the things that should have been destroyed will be destroyed in a fire. And everything he owns will be destroyed with him, because he has disobeyed the command that Yahweh gave us and has done something that is disgraceful to us Israeli people.’”
and it shall be, that—He that is seized with the devoted thing, shall be burned with fire, he and all that he hath, —because he hath transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because he hath wrought impiety in Israel.
16 Early the next morning, Joshua told all the Israeli people to stand before the Sacred Tent, tribe by tribe. [When they did that], Yahweh indicated that a man from the tribe of Judah [was the one who had taken the things].
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes, —and, the tribe of Judah, was seized;
17 Then the clans of Judah presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the clan of Zerah was the guilty one. Then the families of Zerah’s clan presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the family of Zabdi [was the guilty one].
and he brought near the family of Judah, and, the family of the Zarhites, was seized, —and he brought near the family of the Zarhites, man by man, and, Zabdi, was seized;
18 Then Joshua told the men from that family to present themselves. And Yahweh indicated that Achan was guilty.
and he brought near his household, man by man, —and, Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was seized.
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Son, tell the truth [IDM]. Confess to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship, what you have done]. And tell me what you did, and do not try to (conceal anything/prevent me from knowing what you did).”
And Joshua said unto Achan—My son give I pray thee glory unto Yahweh God of Israel and make to him confession, —and tell me I pray thee what thou hast done, do not hide it from me.
20 Achan replied, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
And Achan answered Joshua and said, —Of a truth, I, have sinned against Yahweh God of Israel, and, thus and thus, have I done:
21 Among the things [in Jericho] that I saw was a beautiful coat from Babylonia. I also saw 200 pieces of silver and some gold that weighed as much as 50 pieces of silver. I wanted those things very much for myself, so I took them. I buried them all in the ground under my tent. You will find them there. The silver is buried under the other things.”
When I saw among the spoil a certain goodly mantle of Babylonia and two hundred shekels of silver and a certain wedge of gold—fifty shekels the weight thereof, then I coveted them, then I took them, —and, there they are, hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
22 So Joshua sent some men [to find those things]. They ran to Achan’s tent and found all the things hidden there.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent, —and, there it was, hid in his tent, and, the silver, under it.
23 The men brought them all out of the tent and took them to Joshua and the rest of the Israeli people. Then they spread/laid them out on the ground, where Yahweh could see them.
And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them in unto Joshua, and unto all the sons of Israel, —and poured them out before Yahweh.
24 Then Joshua and the rest of the people led Achan down to the valley. They also took down there the silver, the coat, the gold, Achan’s [wife and] sons and daughters, and his cattle and donkeys and sheep, and his tent, and everything else that he owned.
And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan—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 asses and his sheep and his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up the valley of Achor.
25 Joshua said, “(I do not know why you caused so much trouble for us/You have caused a lot of trouble for us) [RHQ], but now Yahweh will cause trouble for you.” Then all the people threw stones at Achan and his family until they all died. Then the people burned their corpses.
And Joshua said—Why hast thou troubled us? Yahweh, will trouble thee, this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them up with fire, and covered them with stones;
26 They piled rocks over [the ashes of] their [corpses], and those rocks are still there. That is why that valley is called Trouble Valley. After that, Yahweh was no longer angry [with the Israeli people].
yea they raised over him a great heap of stones [which remaineth] until this day. And Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger, —for which cause, hath the name of that place been called—The Valley of Achor, until this day.
