Joshua 7

1But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of Yahweh burned against the Israelites.

2Joshua 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 came back to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up. Let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make all the people toil up there, for the people of Ai are few.”

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

5The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them. They chased them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the slope. And the hearts 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 threw dust on their heads.

7Joshua said, “Oh, Lord Yahweh, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan, only to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay beyond the Jordan!

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

9The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will you do for your great name?”

10Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying facedown like this?

11Israel has sinned; they have also broken my covenant that I commanded them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.

12That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become something devoted to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

13Get up, consecrate the people, and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove the devoted things from among you.

14In the morning you are to come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that Yahweh singles out is to come forward clan by clan. The clan that Yahweh singles out is to come forward household by household. And the household that Yahweh singles out is to come forward man by man.

15The one who is singled out with the devoted things is to be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has broken the covenant of Yahweh and has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

16So Joshua got up early in the morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.

17He had the clans of Judah come forward, and he singled out the clan of the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward man by man, and Zabdi was singled out.

18He had Zabdi’s household come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was singled out.

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

20Achan answered Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

21When I saw among the plunder a beautiful robe from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I wanted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

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

23They took the things out of the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and laid them out before Yahweh.

24Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, and his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

25Joshua said, “Why have you brought trouble on us? Yahweh will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

26They raised over him a great heap of stones that is there to this day. Then Yahweh turned from his burning anger. That is why that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.