1
But the children of Israelcommitted 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 Joshuasentmen from Jericho to Ai, which is besideBethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewedAi.
3
And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or threethousandmen go up and smiteAi; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
4
So there went up thither of the people about threethousandmen: and they fledbefore the men of Ai.
5
And the men of Aismote of them about thirty and sixmen: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the peoplemelted, and became as water.
6
And Joshuarent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his facebefore the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and putdust upon their heads.
7
And Joshuasaid, Alas, OLordGOD, wherefore hast thou at allbrought this peopleoverJordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other sideJordan!
8OLord, what shall I say, whenIsraelturneth their backsbefore 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 greatname?
10
And the LORDsaid unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11Israel 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 Israelcould not standbefore their enemies, but turned their backsbefore their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORDGod of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not standbefore 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 LORDtaketh 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 comeman 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 wroughtfolly in Israel.
16
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and broughtIsrael 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 Zarhitesman by man; and Zabdi was taken:
18
And he brought his householdman 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 Joshuasaid unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORDGod of Israel, and makeconfession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
20
And AchanansweredJoshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORDGod of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21
When I saw among the spoilsagoodlyBabylonishgarment, and two hundredshekels of silver, and awedge of gold of fiftyshekelsweight, 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 Joshuasentmessengers, 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 outbefore the LORD.
24
And Joshua, and all Israel with him, tookAchan 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 Joshuasaid, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israelstoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
26
And they raised over him a greatheap of stones unto this day. So the LORDturned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.