Joshua 7

1But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction, for Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the things devoted to destruction; so the anger of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel.

2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

3They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up. Let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up and strike Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for they are few.”

4So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai.

5And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men from among them, and pursued them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent. So the heart of the people melted and became like water.

6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of Yahweh until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.

7And Joshua said, “Ah, Lord GOD, why have you brought this people across the Jordan at all—to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!”

8Please, Lord, what can I say after Israel has turned its back before its enemies?

9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?

10Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up. Why are you falling on your face?”

11Israel has sinned. They have also transgressed my covenant that I commanded them, and they have also taken some of what was devoted to destruction, and they have also stolen, and they have also deceived, and they have also put it among their own belongings.

12Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted to destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you destroy the devoted thing from your midst.

13Get up, consecrate the people, and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: There is something devoted to destruction in your midst, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you remove the thing devoted to destruction from your midst.’

14In the morning you shall come near by your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe that Yahweh selects shall come near by clans, and the clan that Yahweh selects shall come near by households, and the household that Yahweh selects shall come near man by man.

15And the one who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.

16Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

17Then he brought near the clan of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. Then he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.

18Then he brought his household near man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and give thanks to him. Please tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:”

21I saw among the spoil one beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I coveted them and took them, and look, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath it.

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath it.

23They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they laid them out before Yahweh.

24Then Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his ox, his donkey, his flock, his tent, and all that belonged to him—and all Israel with him—and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

25And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

26And they raised over him a large heap of stones to this day, and Yahweh turned from the burning of his anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.