¹⁸ But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel ^(A)a thing for destruction and ^(B)bring trouble upon it.

²¹ Little children, ^(A)keep yourselves from idols.

^11 (A)Take no part in the ^(B)unfruitful ^(C)works of darkness, but instead ^(D)expose them.

¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have ^(A)transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the ^(B)devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. ^12 (C)Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They ^(D)turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become ^(E)devoted for destruction.^[a] I will be with you no more, unless you destroy ^(F)the devoted things from among you.

Israel Defeated at Ai

7 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for ^(A)Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

²⁵ And Joshua said, “Why did you ^(A)bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel ^(B)stoned him with stones. ^(C)They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: ^(A)to visit ^(B)orphans and widows in their affliction, and ^(C)to keep oneself ^(D)unstained from the world.

Marks of the True Christian

^9 (A)Let love be genuine. ^(B)Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.