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Joshua 7
New English Translation

Achan Sins and is Punished

7 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches.[a] Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,[b] son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches.[c] The Lord was furious with the Israelites.[d]

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai. 3 They returned and reported to Joshua,[e] “Don’t send the whole army.[f] About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai.[g] Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”[h]

4 So about 3,000 men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures[i] and defeated them on the steep slope.[j] The people’s[k] courage melted away like water.[l]

6 Joshua tore his clothes;[m] he and the leaders[n] of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening[o] and threw dirt on their heads.[p] 7 Joshua prayed,[q] “O, Sovereign Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated[r] before its enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us[s] from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”[t]

10 The Lord responded[u] to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?[v] 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment![w] They have taken some of the riches;[x] they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.[y] 12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.[z] I will no longer be with you,[aa] unless you destroy what has contaminated you.[ab] 13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, “You are contaminated,[ac] O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”[ad] 14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order.[ae] The tribe the Lord selects[af] must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families.[ag] The family the Lord selects must approach man by man.[ah] 15 The one caught with the riches[ai] must be burned up[aj] along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order,[ak] and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He then made the clans of Judah approach, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach, and Zabdi[al] was selected.[am] 18 He then made Zabdi’s[an] family approach man by man[ao] and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor[ap] the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me.” 20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:[aq] 21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon,[ar] 200 silver pieces,[as] and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath.[at] 23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed[au] it before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, oxen, donkeys, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.[av] 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on[aw] us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.)[ax] 26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day[ay]) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  2. Joshua 7:1 tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also Josh 7:17, 18).
  3. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  4. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”sn This incident illustrates well the principle of corporate solidarity and corporate guilt. The sin of one man brought the Lord’s anger down upon the entire nation.
  5. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.”
  6. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.”
  7. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.”
  8. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”
  9. Joshua 7:5 tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shevarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).
  10. Joshua 7:5 sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.
  11. Joshua 7:5 tn Or “army’s.”
  12. Joshua 7:5 tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”
  13. Joshua 7:6 sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).
  14. Joshua 7:6 tn Or “elders.”
  15. Joshua 7:6 tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”
  16. Joshua 7:6 sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).
  17. Joshua 7:7 tn Heb “said.”
  18. Joshua 7:8 tn Heb “turned [the] back.”
  19. Joshua 7:9 tn Heb “and cut off our name.”
  20. Joshua 7:9 tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”
  21. Joshua 7:10 tn Heb “said.”
  22. Joshua 7:10 tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”
  23. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”
  24. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  25. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”
  26. Joshua 7:12 tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”
  27. Joshua 7:12 tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.
  28. Joshua 7:12 tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”
  29. Joshua 7:13 tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”
  30. Joshua 7:13 tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”
  31. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “by your tribes.”
  32. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “takes forcefully, seizes.”
  33. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “houses.”
  34. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “by men.”
  35. Joshua 7:15 tn Heb “with what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  36. Joshua 7:15 tn Heb “burned with fire.”
  37. Joshua 7:16 tn Heb “by tribes.”
  38. Joshua 7:17 tn See the note on “Zabdi” in Jos 7:1.
  39. Joshua 7:17 tn Heb “and he selected Zabdi.” The Lord is the apparent subject. The LXX supports reading a passive (Niphal) form here, as does the immediate context.
  40. Joshua 7:18 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Zabdi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Joshua 7:18 tn Heb “by men.”
  42. Joshua 7:19 tn Heb “give glory to.”
  43. Joshua 7:20 tn Heb “like this and like this I did.”
  44. Joshua 7:21 tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).
  45. Joshua 7:21 tn Heb “shekels.”
  46. Joshua 7:22 tn Heb “Look, [it was] hidden in his tent, and the silver was beneath it.”
  47. Joshua 7:23 tn Heb “poured out,” probably referring to the way the silver pieces poured out of their container.
  48. Joshua 7:24 tn Or “Trouble” The name is “Achor” in Hebrew, which means “disaster” or “trouble” (also in v. 26).
  49. Joshua 7:25 tn Or “trouble on.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).
  50. Joshua 7:25 tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition.
  51. Joshua 7:26 tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.
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约书亚记 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)

亚干犯罪

7 以色列人在那当毁灭的物上犯了不忠实的罪；因为犹大支派中，谢拉的曾孙、撒底的孙子、迦米的儿子亚干，取了当毁灭的物，耶和华就向以色列人发怒。

以色列人战败

2 那时，约书亚从耶利哥派人到伯特利东边，靠近伯．亚文的艾城去，吩咐他们说：“你们上去窥探那地。”那些人就上去，窥探艾城。 3 他们回来，对约书亚说：“不需要全体人民都上去；只要大约二三千人就可以上去攻打艾城了；不必劳动全体人民都上那里去，因为那里的人很少。” 4 于是人民中约有三千人上那里去，但他们竟在艾城的人面前逃跑了。 5 艾城的人击杀了他们约三十六人；从城门前追赶他们，一直追到示巴琳；在山坡上把他们击溃；人民的心就极其惊怕。

约书亚和众长老的求问

6 约书亚就撕裂自己的衣服，和以色列人的长老，在耶和华的约柜前，一同俯伏在地，直到晚上，也把尘土撒在头上。 7 约书亚说：“唉！主耶和华啊，你为甚么领这人民过约旦河，为要把我们交在亚摩利人的手中，使我们灭亡呢？我们宁愿住在约旦河那边倒好。 8 主啊！以色列人既然在仇敌面前转身逃跑，我还有甚么可说的呢？ 9 迦南人和这地所有的居民听见了，就必围困我们，把我们的名字从这世上剪除，那时你为你的大名要怎样行呢？”

耶和华的回答

10 耶和华对约书亚说：“你起来，为甚么这样脸伏在地呢？ 11 以色列人犯了罪，违背了我吩咐他们的约定，因为他们取了那当毁灭的物，他们偷窃，并且说谎，又把那当毁灭的物放在自己的物件中。 12 所以，以色列人在他们的仇敌面前站立不住，在他们的仇敌面前转身逃跑，因为他们成了当毁灭的。如果你们不把那当毁灭的物从你们中间除掉，我就必不再与你们同在了。 13 你起来，要人民自洁，对他们说：‘你们要自洁，预备明天；因为耶和华以色列的　神这样说：以色列啊！你们中间有那当毁灭的物；除非你们把那当毁灭的物从你们中间除去，你们在仇敌的面前就不能站立得住。 14 到了早晨，你们要按着支派前来，耶和华抽签抽中的支派，要按着宗族前来；耶和华抽签抽中的宗族，要按着家庭前来；耶和华抽签抽中的家庭，男丁要一个一个前来。 15 如果那藏有当毁灭的物的人被抽签抽中了，他和他所有的一切都要用火焚烧；因为他违背了耶和华的约，又因为他在以色列中作了愚昧的事。’”

抽签抽中亚干

16 约书亚清早起来，要以色列人按着支派前来；结果，犹大支派被抽签抽中了； 17 他要犹大宗族前来，结果，谢拉的家族被抽签抽中了；他要谢拉家族的男丁一个一个前来，结果，撒底被抽签抽中了； 18 他要撒底家中的男丁一个一个前来，结果，亚干被抽签抽中了，亚干是迦米的儿子、撒底的孙子、谢拉的曾孙，是属于犹大支派的。 19 约书亚对亚干说：“我儿，我劝你把荣耀归给耶和华以色列的　神，向他认罪，告诉我你作了甚么事，不可向我隐瞒。”

亚干认罪与受罚

20 亚干回答约书亚，说：“我实在得罪了耶和华以色列的　神；我作过的事是这样的。 21 我在战利品中，看见了一件美丽的示拿衣服、二千二百八十克银子，和一条重五百七十克的金条；我因贪爱这些物件，就把它们拿去了；现在埋藏在我帐棚的地里，银子在底下。”

22 约书亚就派人跑到亚干的帐棚里，果然见到东西埋藏在那里，银子在底下。 23 他们就把东西从帐棚中拿出来，带到约书亚和以色列人那里，摆在耶和华面前。 24 约书亚和全体以色列人一起把谢拉的曾孙亚干和那银子、那件衣服、那金条，以及亚干的儿女、牛、驴、羊、帐棚和他所有的一切，都带上亚割谷去。 25 约书亚说：“你为甚么给我们招惹灾祸呢？今天耶和华必使你遭受灾祸。”于是全体以色列人用石头把他打死。他们用石头打死他们以后，就把一切用火烧了。 26 众人又在亚干身上堆起了一大堆石头，这堆石头一直存到今日；于是耶和华就回心转意，不发烈怒。因此那地方名叫亚割谷，直到今日。

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