1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of
Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the
LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of
Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men
went up and viewed Ai.
3 And
they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but
let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make
not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
4 So
there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled
before the men of Ai.
5 And
the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before
the gate even unto
Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people
melted, and became as water.
6 And
Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of
the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon
their heads.
7 And
Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people
over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would
to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
8 O
Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
9 For
the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name
from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
10 And
the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy
face?
11 Israel
hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded
them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and
dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore
the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs
before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you
any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up,
sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of
thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away
the accursed thing from among you.
14 In
the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it
shall be, that the
tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall
come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man
by man.
15 And
it shall be, that he
that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that
he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he
hath wrought folly in Israel.
16 So
Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and
the tribe of Judah was taken:
17 And
he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he
brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
18 And
he brought 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 taken.
19 And
Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of
Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not
from me.
20 And
Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of
Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When
I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of
silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and
took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my
tent, and the silver under it.
22 So
Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid
in his tent, and the silver under it.
23 And
they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and
unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
24 And
Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver,
and the garment, 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
they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
25 And
Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day.
And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they
had stoned them with stones.
26 And
they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned
from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called,
The valley of Achor, unto this day.
