Chapter 7

Defeat at Ai. ¹ But the Israelites acted treacherously with regard to the ban; Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took goods that were under the ban,^(A) and the anger of the Lord flared up against the Israelites.

¹⁸ Finally he had that family come forward one by one, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, was designated. ¹⁹ Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and praise him by telling me what you have done; do not hide it from me.” ²⁰ Achan answered Joshua, “I have indeed sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: ²¹ Among the spoils, I saw a beautiful Babylonian mantle, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight; I coveted them and I took them. They are now hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

²⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, with the silver, the mantle, and the bar of gold, and with his sons and daughters, his ox, his donkey and his sheep, his tent, and all his possessions, and led them off to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵ Joshua said, “What misery have you caused us? May the Lord bring misery upon you today!”^(A) And all Israel stoned him to death. They burnt them with fire and they stoned them.

²⁰ When Achan, son of Zerah,^(A) acted treacherously by violating the ban, was it not upon the entire community of Israel that wrath fell? Though he was but a single man, he did not perish alone^[a] for his guilt!”