Joshua 7
7
Defeat at Ai
1The Israelites, however, were unfaithful#Lv 6:2; Nm 5:27; 31:16; Dt 32:51; Jos 22:16; Ezr 9:2–4 regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.
2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven,#Jos 18:12; 1Sm 13:5; 14:23 east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.
3After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don’t send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousand#7:3 Or send two or three military units of men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.” 4So about three thousand men#7:4 Lit men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.#Lv 26:17; Dt 28:25 5The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries,#7:5 Or to Shebarim striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.#7:5 Lit people’s hearts melted and became like water#Dt 20:8; Jos 2:11; 5:1; 2Sm 17:10; Ps 22:14; Is 13:7; 19:1; Ezk 21:7
6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening,#Jb 1:20 as did the elders of Israel; they all put dust on their heads.#Neh 9:1; Lm 2:10; Ezk 27:30; Rv 18:19 7“Oh, Lord God,” Joshua said, “why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan! 8What can I say, Lord, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? 9When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.#Ru 4:10; 1Sm 24:9; Ps 109:13; Is 24:19; 56:5; Jr 11:19 Then what will you do about your great name?” #1Kg 8:42
10The Lord then said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen facedown? 11Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put those things with their own belongings.#Jos 6:18 12This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction.#Nm 14:45; Jdg 2:14 I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you what is set apart.
13“Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow,#Jos 3:5 for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart. 14In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the Lord selects is to come forward family by family. The family the Lord selects is to come forward man by man. 15The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the Lord’s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.”#Gn 34:7; Dt 22:21; Jdg 19:23–24; 20:6
Achan Judged
16Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families,#7:17 Lit forward man by man and Zabdi was selected. 18He then had Zabdi’s family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel,#1Sm 6:5; 2Ch 30:22; Jr 13:16; Jn 9:24 and make a confession to him.#7:19 Or and praise him I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”
20Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.#Jos 22:20 This is what I did: 21When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon,#7:21 Lit Shinar five pounds#7:21 Lit 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter,#7:21 Lit 50 shekels I coveted them and took them.#Gn 3:6; 2Sm 12:2–4; 1Jn 2:16 You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.” 22So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.
24Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.#Jos 15:7 25Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble?#Jos 6:18; 1Ch 2:7 Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned them#7:25 Lit him to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today.#Jos 6:25; 8:28–29; 10:27; 13:13 Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor#7:26 Or of Trouble still today.
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Joshua 7
7
The Sin of Achan
1But the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” broke faith concerning the devoted things.#Or “consecrated possessions” Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the devoted things;#Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession” and Yahweh’s anger was kindled#Literally “the nose of Yahweh became hot” against the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2Now 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. 3And 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#That is, the people of Ai are few. Do not make all the people weary up there.” 4So about three thousand from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai. 5The 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#Hebrew “heart” of the people melted and became like water.
6And 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.#Hebrew “head” 7And 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. 8Please, my Lord! What can I say after Israel has fled from its enemies?#Literally “Israel has turned its neck before its enemies” 9The 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?”
10And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why#Literally “For what this” have you fallen on your face? 11Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant#Literally “crossed my covenant” that I commanded them. They have taken from the devoted things;#Hebrew “thing” or “from the consecrated possession” they have stolen and acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their belongings. 12The Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” were unable to stand before their enemies; they fled from their enemies#Literally “they turned their neck before their enemies” because they have become a thing devoted#Or “consecrated” for destruction. I will be with you no more#Literally “I will not do again to be with you” unless you destroy the devoted things#Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession” from among you. 13Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: “There are devoted things#Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession” in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before you enemies until you remove the devoted things#Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession” from your midst.” 14In the morning you will come forward, tribe by tribe,#Literally “according to your tribes” 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. 15The one caught with the devoted things#Hebrew “thing” or “consecrated possession” will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he transgressed the covenant#Literally “he crossed the covenant” of Yahweh, and because he did a disgraceful thing in Israel.” ’ ”
16So#Or “And” Joshua rose early in the morning and brought forward Israel, tribe by tribe,#Literally “according to its tribes” and the tribe of Judah was selected by lot. 17And he brought forward the clans of Judah and selected the clan of the Zerahites#Hebrew “Zerahite” by lot. Then he brought forward the clan of the Zerahites,#Hebrew “Zerahite” one by one, and Zabdi was selected by lot. 18He 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. 19And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please, give glory to Yahweh the God of Israel, and give him a doxology in court.#Some interpret “make a confession” Tell me, please, what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And Achan answered Joshua and said, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh the God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21I saw among the spoil a beautiful robe from Shinar,#“Shinar” refers to Babylonia 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.”
22Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there they were, hidden in his tent, and the silver was under it. 23And they took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” And they spread them out before the presence of Yahweh. 24Then 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.#Hebrew “trouble”; a valley in the Jericho region 25And Joshua said, “Why did you bring us trouble? Yahweh will bring you trouble on this day.” And all Israel stoned them#Hebrew “him” with stones;#Hebrew “stone” and they burned them with fire after they stoned them with stones. 26Then they placed#Literally “they raised up” on top of him a great pile of stones that remains to this day. And Yahweh turned from his burning anger,#Literally “turned from his burning nose” and thus the name of that place to this day is called the valley of Achor.#Hebrew “trouble”; a valley in the Jericho region
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