Chapter 7

But the children of Israel committed⁴ 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, took⁴ of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled⁴ against the children of Israel.

And Joshua sent⁴ men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake⁴ unto them, saying,² Go up³ and view¹⁶ the country. And the men went up⁴ and viewed¹⁷ Ai.

And they returned⁴ to Joshua, and said⁴ unto him, Let not all the people go up;⁴ but let about two or three thousand ⁵⁰⁵ men ³⁷⁶ go up⁴ and smite⁵⁵ Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour¹⁷ thither; for they [are but] few.

So there went up⁴ thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled⁴ before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai smote⁵⁵ of them about thirty and six men: for they chased⁴ them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote⁵⁵ them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted,¹¹ and became as water.

And Joshua rent⁴ his clothes, and fell⁴ to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put⁵⁵ dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said,⁴ Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all⁵³ brought this people over⁵² Jordan, to deliver² us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy⁵³ us? would to God we had been content,⁵² and dwelt⁴ on the other side Jordan!

O Lord, what shall I say,⁴ when Israel turneth¹ their backs before their enemies!⁶

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants⁶ of the land shall hear⁴ [of it], and shall environ us round,⁸ and cut off⁵² our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do⁴ unto thy great name?

And the LORD said⁴ unto Joshua, Get thee up;³ wherefore liest⁶ thou thus upon thy face?

Israel hath sinned,¹ and they have also transgressed¹ my covenant which I commanded¹⁴ them: for they have even taken¹ of the accursed thing, and have also stolen,¹ and dissembled¹⁴ also, and they have put¹ [it] even among their own stuff.

Therefore the children of Israel could⁴ not stand² before their enemies,⁶ [but] turned⁴ [their] backs before their enemies,⁶ because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more,⁵⁵ except ye destroy⁵⁵ the accursed from among you.

Up,³ sanctify¹⁶ the people, and say,¹ Sanctify¹⁰⁰ yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst⁴ not stand² before thine enemies,⁶ until ye take away⁵³ the accursed thing from among you.

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought⁸ according to your tribes: and it shall be, [that] the tribe which the LORD taketh⁴ shall come⁴ according to the families [thereof]; and the family which the LORD shall take⁴ shall come⁴ by households; and the household which the LORD shall take⁴ shall come⁴ man by man.

And it shall be, [that] he that is taken¹² with the accursed thing shall be burnt¹¹ with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed¹ the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought¹ folly in Israel.

So Joshua rose up early⁵⁵ in the morning, and brought⁵⁵ Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:¹¹

And he brought⁵⁵ the family of Judah; and he took⁴ the family of the Zarhites: and he brought⁵⁵ the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:¹¹

And he brought⁵⁵ 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.¹¹

And Joshua said⁴ unto Achan, My son, give,³ I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make³ confession unto him; and tell⁵⁴ me now what thou hast done;¹ hide¹⁷ [it] not from me.

And Achan answered⁴ Joshua, and said,⁴ Indeed I have sinned¹ against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:¹

When I saw⁴ among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted⁴ them, and took⁴ them; and, behold, they [are] hid⁷ in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

So Joshua sent⁴ messengers, and they ran⁴ unto the tent; and, behold, [it was] hid⁷ in his tent, and the silver under it.

And they took⁴ them out of the midst of the tent, and brought⁵⁵ them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out⁵⁵ before the LORD.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took⁴ 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 brought⁵⁵ them unto the valley of Achor.

And Joshua said,⁴ Why hast thou troubled¹ us? the LORD shall trouble⁴ thee this day. And all Israel stoned⁴ him with stones, and burned⁴ them with fire, after they had stoned⁴ them with stones.

And they raised⁵⁵ over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned⁴ from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called,¹ The valley of Achor, unto this day.