Joshua 7
Lexham English Bible
The Sin of Achan
7 But the Israelites[a] broke faith concerning the devoted things.[b] Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the devoted things;[c] and Yahweh’s anger was kindled[d] against the Israelites.[e]
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven, east of Bethel, and he said to them, “Go up and spy out Ai.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up and attack Ai; only two or three thousand men should go up because they[f] are few. Do not make all the people weary up there.” 4 So about three thousand from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, and they chased them from the gate up to Shebarim and killed them on the slope. And the hearts[g] of the people melted and became like water.
6 And Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.[h] 7 And Joshua said, “Ah, my Lord! Why did you bring this people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content and stayed beyond the Jordan. 8 Please, my Lord! What can I say after Israel has fled from its enemies?[i] 9 The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of this, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the land. What will you do, for your great name?”
10 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why[j] have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant[k] that I commanded them. They have taken from the devoted things;[l] they have stolen and acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their belongings. 12 The Israelites[m] were unable to stand before their enemies; they fled from their enemies[n] because they have become a thing devoted[o] for destruction. I will be with you no more[p] unless you destroy the devoted things[q] from among you. 13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: “There are devoted things[r] in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before you enemies until you remove the devoted things[s] from your midst.” 14 In the morning you will come forward, tribe by tribe,[t] and the tribe that Yahweh will select by lot will come forward by clans, and the clan that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward by families, and the family that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward one by one. 15 The one caught with the devoted things[u] will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he transgressed the covenant[v] of Yahweh, and because he did a disgraceful thing in Israel.”’”
16 So[w] Joshua rose early in the morning and brought forward Israel, tribe by tribe,[x] and the tribe of Judah was selected by lot. 17 And he brought forward the clans of Judah and selected the clan of the Zerahites[y] by lot. Then he brought forward the clan of the Zerahites,[z] one by one, and Zabdi was selected by lot. 18 He brought forward his family, one by one, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected by lot. 19 And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please, give glory to Yahweh the God of Israel, and give him a doxology in court.[aa] Tell me, please, what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh the God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 I saw among the spoil a beautiful robe from Shinar,[ab] two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold that weighed fifty shekels; I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is under it.”
22 Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there they were, hidden in his tent, and the silver was under it. 23 And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites.[ac] And they spread them out before the presence of Yahweh. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle and donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that was his, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.[ad] 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring us trouble? Yahweh will bring you trouble on this day.” And all Israel stoned them[ae] with stones;[af] and they burned them with fire after they stoned them with stones. 26 Then they placed[ag] on top of him a great pile of stones that remains to this day. And Yahweh turned from his burning anger,[ah] and thus the name of that place to this day is called the valley of Achor.[ai]
Footnotes
- Joshua 7:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 7:1 Or “consecrated possessions”
- Joshua 7:1 Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:1 Literally “the nose of Yahweh became hot”
- Joshua 7:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 7:3 That is, the people of Ai
- Joshua 7:5 Hebrew “heart”
- Joshua 7:6 Hebrew “head”
- Joshua 7:8 Literally “Israel has turned its neck before its enemies”
- Joshua 7:10 Literally “For what this”
- Joshua 7:11 Literally “crossed my covenant”
- Joshua 7:11 Hebrew “thing” or “from the consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 7:12 Literally “they turned their neck before their enemies”
- Joshua 7:12 Or “consecrated”
- Joshua 7:12 Literally “I will not do again to be with you”
- Joshua 7:12 Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:13 Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:13 Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:14 Literally “according to your tribes”
- Joshua 7:15 Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession”
- Joshua 7:15 Literally “he crossed the covenant”
- Joshua 7:16 Or “And”
- Joshua 7:16 Literally “according to its tribes”
- Joshua 7:17 Hebrew “Zerahite”
- Joshua 7:17 Hebrew “Zerahite”
- Joshua 7:19 Some interpret “make a confession”
- Joshua 7:21 “Shinar” refers to Babylonia
- Joshua 7:23 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 7:24 Hebrew “trouble”; a valley in the Jericho region
- Joshua 7:25 Hebrew “him”
- Joshua 7:25 Hebrew “stone”
- Joshua 7:26 Literally “they raised up”
- Joshua 7:26 Literally “turned from his burning nose”
- Joshua 7:26 Hebrew “trouble”; a valley in the Jericho region
Joshua 7
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
7 But the children of Israel transgressed the commandment, and took to their own use of the anathema. For Achan the son of Charmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zare of the tribe of Juda, took something of the anathema: and the Lord was angry against the children of Israel.
2 And when Josue sent men from Jericho against Hai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of the town of Bethel, he said to them: Go up, and view the country: and they fulfilled his command, and viewed Hai.
3 And returning they said to him: Let not all the people go up, but let two or three thousand men go and destroy the city: why should all the people be troubled in vain against enemies that are very few?
4 There went up therefore three thousand fighting men: who immediately turned their backs,
5 And were defeated by the men of the city of Hai, and there fell of them six and thirty men: and the enemies pursued them from the gate as far as Sabarim, and they slew them as they fled by the descent: and the heart of the people was struck with fear, and melted like water.
6 But Josue rent his garments, and fell flat on the ground before the ark of the Lord until the evening, both he and all the ancients of Israel: and they put dust upon their heads.
7 And Josue said: Alas, O Lord God, why wouldst thou bring this people over the river Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorrhite, and to destroy us? would God, we had stayed beyond the Jordan as we began.
8 My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning their backs to their enemies?
9 The Chanaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and being gathered together will surround us and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do to thy great name?
10 And the Lord said to Josue: Arise, why liest thou flat on the ground?
11 Israel hath sinned, and transgressed my covenant: and they have taken of the anathema, and have stolen and lied, and have hidden it among their goods.
12 Neither can Israel stand before his enemies, but he shall flee from them: because he is defiled with the anathema. I will be no more with you, till you destroy him that is guilty of this wickedness.
13 Arise, sanctify the people, and say to them: Be ye sanctified against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel: The anathema is in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thy enemies, till he be destroyed out of thee that is defiled with this wickedness.
14 And you shall come in the morning every one by your tribes: and what tribe soever the lot shall find, it shall come by its kindreds and the kindred by its houses, and the house by the men.
15 And whosoever he be that shall be found guilty of this fact, he shall be burnt with fire with all his substance, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and hath done wickedness in Israel.
16 Josue, therefore, when he rose in the morning, made Israel to come by their tribes, and the tribe of Juda was found,
17 Which being brought by its families, it was found to be the family of Zare. Bringing that also by the houses, he found it to be Zabdi.
18 And bringing his house man by man, he found Achan the son of Charmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zare of the tribe of Juda.
19 And Josue said to Achan: My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and confess, and tell me what thou hast done, hide it not.
20 And Achan answered Josue, and said to him: Indeed I have sinned against the Lord the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.
21 For I saw among the spoils a scarlet garment exceeding good, and two hundred sides of silver, and a golden rule of fifty sides: and I coveted them, and I took them away, and hid them in the ground is the midst of my tent, and the silver I covered with the earth that I dug up.
22 Josue therefore sent ministers: who running to his tent, found all hidden in the same place, together with the silver.
23 And taking them away out of the tent, they brought them to Josue, and to all the children of Israel, and threw them down before the Lord.
24 Then Josue and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zare, and the silver and the garments, and the golden rule, his sons also and his daughters, his oxen and asses and sheep, the tent also, and all the goods: and brought them to the valley of Achor:
25 Where Josue said: Because thou hast troubled us, the Lord trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him: and all things that were his, were consumed with fire.
26 And they gathered together upon him a great heap of stones, which remaineth until this present day. And the wrath of the Lord was turned away from them. And the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor, until this day.
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