⁴² But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”^(A)

⁸ Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.^(A) What then will you do for your own great name?^(B)”

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned;^(C) they have violated my covenant,^(D) which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied,^(E) they have put them with their own possessions.^{(F) 12} That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;^(G) they turn their backs^(H) and run^(I) because they have been made liable to destruction.^(J) I will not be with you anymore^(K) unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

¹³ “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves^(L) in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

Sin, Confession and Redemption

² The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.