7
1 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 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 They
returned to Joshua,
and said to him,
“Don’t let all the
people go up,
but let about
two or
three thousand men
go up and
strike Ai. Don’t
make all the
people to toil
there, for there
are only a
few of them.”
4 So
about three thousand
men of the
people went up
there, and they
fled before the
men of Ai.
5 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 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 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 Oh, Lord,
what shall I
say, after Israel
has turned their
backs before
their enemies?
9 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 The
LORD said to
Joshua, “Get up!
Why have you
fallen on your
face like that?
11 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 Therefore
the children of
Israel can’t 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 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 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 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 So
Joshua rose up
early in the
morning and
brought Israel
near by their
tribes. The tribe
of Judah
was selected.
17 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 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 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! Don’t
hide it from
me!”
20 Achan
answered Joshua,
and said, “I
have truly sinned
against the LORD,
the God of
Israel, and this
is what I
have done.
21 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 So
Joshua sent
messengers, and
they ran to
the tent. Behold,
it was hidden
in his tent, with
the silver under
it.
23 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 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 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 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.