JoshuaChapter 7
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1But the Israelites were not faithful about the things set apart to be destroyed. A man named Achan took some of those things. He was the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah. So the LORD's anger burned against the Israelites. 2Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel. He told them, "Go up and spy out the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3They came back to Joshua and told him, "You don't need to send all the people. Two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. There are only a few people in Ai. Don't make all our people tire themselves out going there." 4So about three thousand men went up. But they ran away from the men of Ai. 5The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them. They chased them from the city gate as far as the stone pits. They struck them down on the hillside. So the hearts of the people melted. They became as weak as water. 6Then Joshua tore his clothes. He fell facedown on the ground in front of the ark of the LORD. He stayed there until evening. The elders of Israel did the same. They all threw dust on their heads. 7Joshua said, "Oh, Lord GOD, why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan? Was it to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been happy to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8Oh, Lord, what can I say? Israel has turned and run away from its enemies! 9The Canaanites and everyone else in the land will hear about this. They will surround us and wipe our name off the earth. Then what will you do for your own great name?" 10But the LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you lying on your face? 11Israel has sinned. They have broken my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the things set apart to be destroyed. They have stolen and lied. They have put those things with their own things. 12That is why the Israelites can't stand against their enemies. They turn their backs and run away from them, because they themselves have now been set apart to be destroyed. I will not be with you anymore unless you get rid of what was set apart to be destroyed from among you. 13Get up and make the people holy. Tell them, 'Make yourselves holy for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Israel, there are things among you that were set apart to be destroyed. You can't stand against your enemies until you get rid of them. 14In the morning, come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe the LORD picks will come forward clan by clan. The clan the LORD picks will come forward family by family. The family the LORD picks will come forward man by man. 15The one who is caught with the things set apart to be destroyed must be burned. Everything that belongs to him must be burned too. This is because he has broken the covenant of the LORD. He has done a shameful thing in Israel.'" 16So Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe of Judah was picked. 17He had the clans of Judah come forward. The clan of Zerah was picked. He had the clan of Zerah come forward, and the family of Zabdi was picked. 18Joshua had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man. Achan was picked. He was the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah. 19So Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel. Confess to him. Please tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me." 20"It's true," Achan answered. "I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. Here is what I did. 21Among the things we took, I saw a beautiful robe from Shinar. I saw 200 shekels of silver and a bar of gold that weighed 50 shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are buried in the ground inside my tent. The silver is underneath."a 22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. There it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23They took the things out of the tent. They brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. They spread them out before the LORD. 24Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan son of Zerah. They took the silver, the robe, and the bar of gold. They took his sons and daughters, his oxen, donkeys, and sheep, and his tent. They took everything else he owned. They brought them all to the Valley of Achor. 25Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? Today the LORD will bring trouble on you!" Then all Israel stoned him to death. They also stoned the others and burned their bodies. 26They piled a large heap of rocks over Achan. It is still there today. Then the LORD turned away from his burning anger. That is why the place is still called the Valley of Achor today.b