“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.” (Joshua 7:1-26 AV)
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