¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(A) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction^(B) and bring trouble^(C) on it.

Achan’s Sin

7 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things^[a];^(A) Achan^(B) son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,^[b] the son of Zerah,^(C) of the tribe of Judah,^(D) took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned^(E) against Israel.^(F)

²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.^(A) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

¹⁷ Was not the sin of Peor^(A) enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! ¹⁸ And are you now turning away from the Lord?

“‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community^(B) of Israel.

²⁰ When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,^[a](A) did not wrath^(B) come on the whole community^(C) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”^(D)

²⁰ Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:

²⁹ “In those days people will no longer say,

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

¹² The word of the Lord came to me: ¹³ “Son of man, if a country sins^(A) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply^(B) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,^{(C) 14} even if these three men—Noah,^(D) Daniel^[a](E) and Job^(F)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,^(G) declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁵ “Or if I send wild beasts^(H) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,^{(I) 16} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.^(J)

¹⁷ “Or if I bring a sword^(K) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,^{(L) 18} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

¹⁹ “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath^(M) on it through bloodshed,^(N) killing its people and their animals,^{(O) 20} as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.^(P)

²¹ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments^(Q)—sword^(R) and famine^(S) and wild beasts and plague^(T)—to kill its men and their animals!^{(U) 22} Yet there will be some survivors^(V)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.^(W) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct^(X) and their actions, you will be consoled^(Y) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. ²³ You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(Z)”