Joshua 7
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 7
Israelites Defeated at Ai.[a] 1 The Israelites, however, acted treacherously with regard to those things that had been dedicated. Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the dedicated things for himself. The Lord’s anger blazed forth against the Israelites. 2 Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, to the east of Bethel. He said to them, “Go up and take a look at the countryside,” so the men went up and investigated Ai. 3 They returned and said to Joshua, “You should not send the entire nation there, only send about two or three thousand men against Ai to conquer it. You should not bother the whole nation, for there are not that many of them. 4 So about three thousand men went up there, and they had to flee from before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them when they chased them from their gates all the way down to Shebarim. They killed them as they ran down the slopes, and the people’s courage melted away like water.
6 Joshua tore his clothes and threw himself face down on the earth in front of the Ark of the Lord, remaining there until the evening. The elders of Israel did the same, tossing dust upon their heads. 7 [b]Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord, why did you bring this people across the Jordan just to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites so they could destroy us? It would have been better if we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan. 8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has fled before its enemies? 9 The Canaanites and all of the other inhabitants of the land will surely hear about this. They will surround us and wipe out remembrance of our name from the earth. What would happen to the grandeur of your name?”
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing on your face? 11 Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I commanded them to observe. They have taken some of the dedicated things for themselves. They have stolen, they have lied, they have placed these things together with their own property. 12 This is why the Israelites could not stand up to their enemies. They turned their backs and fled because they were under a curse. I will not be with you anymore unless you wipe out those who are cursed from your midst. 13 Arise, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “There are things that have been dedicated in your midst, O Israel. You will not be able to stand up to your enemies until you remove the dedicated things from your midst.” 14 In the morning you will present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord chooses will present itself clan by clan. The clan that the Lord chooses will present itself family by family. The family that the Lord chooses will present itself person by person.[c] 15 That person who has taken dedicated things will be thrown into the flames, he and all that he owns. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”
16 Achan’s Guilt and Punishment. Early the next morning Joshua had the people of Israel come forward by their tribes, and Judah was chosen. 17 The clans of Judah then came forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was chosen. The clan of the Zerahites came forward family by family, and the family of Zabdi was chosen. 18 The family came forward person by person, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah was chosen.
19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make your confession to him. Tell me now what you have done, do not hide it from me.” 20 Achan answered Joshua, “I have truly sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, for this is what I have done. 21 I spotted among the spoils a good garment made in Babylonia,[d] and two hundred silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I coveted them so I took them. They are hidden in my tent, with the silver buried underneath it.”
22 Joshua sent some runners to the tent, and there it was in the tent, with the silver buried underneath it. 23 They took it out of the tent and brought it to Joshua and to all of the Israelites, laying it out before the Lord. 24 [e]Joshua, together with all of Israel, took Achan, the son of Zerah, along with the silver, the garment, and the bar of gold, his sons and his daughters, his oxen, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all his other property to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this calamity upon us? The Lord will bring a calamity down upon you today.” Then all of the Israelites stoned him, and after they stoned the rest of them, they threw them in the fire. 26 They piled up a great mound of stones over Achan that is still there to the present. The fierce anger of the Lord was thus quenched. This is why this site is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
Footnotes
- Joshua 7:1 The cruel measures taken in this primitive war emphasize the condition required for God’s help, namely, unconditional obedience and the sacrifice of personal desires. Observe that Ai means “ruin”; the account bears the mark of this.
- Joshua 7:7 This informal and heartfelt prayer reveals Joshua’s confusion in the light of defeat. His resort to persuasive questioning of God reveals his weakness and fear (i.e., humanity).
- Joshua 7:14 Tribes, which are subdivisions of nomadic societies, are made up of a number of clans; clans are made up of a number of families that descend from a common ancestor and are united by ties of blood; a family is made up of relatives living together, the head of it having juridical and religious authority.
- Joshua 7:21 Babylonia: the Hebrew has “Shinar,” a region of Mesopotamia, but here standing for Babylonia, which was noted for its wealth.
- Joshua 7:24 As head of the family Achan brings all of them down because of his disobedience. His entire family is eradicated and everything that belongs to him is destroyed. The Israelites understand this punishment to be appropriate to the sin of betrayal of the Lord.
Joshua 7
King James Version
7 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 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.
Josué 7
La Biblia de las Américas
Derrota de Israel en Hai
7 Mas los hijos de Israel fueron infieles en cuanto al anatema, porque Acán, hijo de Carmi, hijo de Zabdi[a], hijo de Zera, de la tribu de Judá, tomó de las cosas dedicadas al anatema(A); y la ira del Señor se encendió contra los hijos de Israel.
2 Y Josué envió hombres desde Jericó a Hai, que está cerca de Bet-avén(B) al este de Betel, y les dijo[b]: Subid y reconoced la tierra. Y los hombres subieron y reconocieron a Hai. 3 Cuando volvieron a Josué, le dijeron: Que no suba todo el pueblo; solo[c] dos o tres mil hombres subirán[d] a Hai; no hagas cansar a todo el pueblo subiendo allá, porque ellos son pocos. 4 Así que subieron allá unos tres mil hombres del pueblo, pero huyeron(C) ante los hombres de Hai. 5 Y los hombres de Hai hirieron de ellos a unos treinta y seis hombres, y los persiguieron desde[e] la puerta hasta Sebarim, y los derrotaron[f] en la bajada; y el corazón del pueblo desfalleció y se hizo como agua(D).
6 Entonces Josué rasgó sus vestidos y postró su rostro en tierra delante del arca del Señor hasta el anochecer, él y los ancianos de Israel; y echaron polvo sobre sus cabezas(E). 7 Y Josué dijo: ¡Ah, Señor Dios[g]! ¿Por qué hiciste pasar a este pueblo el Jordán, para entregarnos después en manos de los amorreos y destruirnos? ¡Ojalá nos hubiéramos propuesto habitar[h] al otro lado del Jordán! 8 ¡Ah, Señor! ¿Qué puedo decir, ya que Israel ha vuelto la espalda[i] ante sus enemigos? 9 Porque los cananeos y todos los habitantes de la tierra se enterarán de ello, y nos rodearán y borrarán nuestro nombre de la tierra(F). ¿Y qué harás tú por tu gran nombre?
El pecado de Acán
10 Y el Señor dijo a Josué: ¡Levántate! ¿Por qué te has postrado rostro en tierra? 11 Israel ha pecado y también ha transgredido mi pacto que les ordené. Y hasta han tomado de las cosas dedicadas al anatema, y también han robado y mentido(G), y además las han puesto entre sus propias cosas. 12 No pueden, pues, los hijos de Israel hacer frente a sus enemigos(H); vuelven la espalda[j] delante de sus enemigos porque han venido a ser anatema. No estaré más con vosotros a menos que destruyáis las cosas dedicadas al anatema de en medio de vosotros. 13 Levántate, consagra al pueblo y di: «Consagraos para mañana(I), porque así ha dicho el Señor, Dios de Israel: “Hay anatema en medio de ti, oh Israel. No podrás hacer frente a tus enemigos hasta que quitéis el anatema de en medio de vosotros(J)”. 14 Por la mañana os acercaréis, pues, por[k] tribus. Y será que la tribu que el Señor señale se acercará por familias, y la familia que el Señor señale se acercará por casas, y la casa que el Señor señale se acercará hombre por hombre(K). 15 Y será que el hombre que sea sorprendido con las cosas dedicadas al anatema será quemado(L), él y todo lo que le pertenece, porque ha quebrantado el pacto del Señor, y ha cometido infamia en Israel(M)».
16 Y Josué se levantó muy de mañana, e hizo acercar a Israel por[l] tribus, y fue designada la tribu de Judá. 17 Mandó acercar a las familias de Judá, y fue designada la familia de los de Zera; e hizo acercar a la familia de Zera, hombre por hombre, y Zabdi fue designado. 18 Mandó acercar su casa hombre por hombre; y fue designado Acán[m], hijo de Carmi, hijo de Zabdi, hijo de Zera, de la tribu de Judá(N). 19 Entonces Josué dijo a Acán: Hijo mío, te ruego, da gloria al Señor, Dios de Israel(O), y dale alabanza; y declárame ahora lo que has hecho. No me lo ocultes. 20 Y Acán respondió a Josué, y dijo: En verdad he pecado contra el Señor, Dios de Israel, y esto es lo que he hecho[n]: 21 cuando vi entre el botín un hermoso manto de Sinar y doscientos siclos[o] de plata y una barra de oro de cincuenta siclos de peso, los codicié y los tomé(P); y he aquí, están escondidos en la tierra dentro de mi tienda con la plata debajo.
22 Y Josué envió emisarios, que fueron corriendo a la tienda, y he aquí que el manto estaba escondido en su tienda con la plata debajo. 23 Y los sacaron de la tienda, los llevaron a Josué y a todos los hijos de Israel, y los pusieron delante del Señor. 24 Entonces Josué, y con él todo Israel, tomó a Acán, hijo de Zera, y la plata, el manto, la barra de oro, sus hijos, sus hijas, sus bueyes[p], sus asnos, sus ovejas, su tienda y todo lo que le pertenecía, y los llevaron al valle de Acor(Q). 25 Y Josué dijo: ¿Por qué nos has turbado(R)? El Señor te turbará hoy. Y todo Israel los apedreó[q] y los quemaron después de haberlos apedreado[r]. 26 Y levantaron sobre él un gran montón de piedras que permanece hasta hoy; y el Señor se volvió del furor de su ira. Por eso se ha llamado aquel lugar el valle de Acor[s](S) hasta el día de hoy.
Footnotes
- Josué 7:1 En 1 Crón. 2:6, Zimri
- Josué 7:2 Lit., dijo, diciendo
- Josué 7:3 Lit., como
- Josué 7:3 Lit., y herirán
- Josué 7:5 Lit., delante de
- Josué 7:5 Lit., hirieron
- Josué 7:7 Heb., YHWH, generalmente traducido Señor
- Josué 7:7 Lit., propuesto y hubiéramos habitado
- Josué 7:8 Lit., cerviz
- Josué 7:12 Lit., las cervices
- Josué 7:14 Lit., por vuestras
- Josué 7:16 Lit., por sus
- Josué 7:18 En 1 Crón. 2:7, Acar
- Josué 7:20 Lit., así y así he hecho
- Josué 7:21 Un siclo equivale aprox. a 11.4 gramos
- Josué 7:24 O, su ganado
- Josué 7:25 Lit., lo apedreó con piedras
- Josué 7:25 Lit., y los apedrearon con piedras
- Josué 7:26 I.e., dificultad
