Joshua 7

1 But the children of Yisrael 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 (Yehudah), took of the accursed thing; and the anger of יהוה was kindled against the children of Yisrael.

2 And Joshua (Yehoshua) sent men from Yericho to Ai, which is beside Beit Aven, on the east side of Bethel (Beit-El), 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 (Yeho-shua), 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 (Yehoshua) rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of יהוה until the eventide, he and the elders of Yisrael, and put dust upon their heads.

7 And Joshua (Yehoshua) said, “Alas, O Lord (Adonai) יהוה, wherefore have you at all brought this people over Jordan (Yarden), to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan (Yarden)!

8 O Lord (Adonai), what shall I say, when Yisrael 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 You do unto Your great name?”

10 And יהוה said unto Joshua (Yehoshua), “Get you up; wherefore liest you thus upon your face?

11 Yisrael 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 Yisrael 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 you destroy the accursed from among you.

13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; for thus saith יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael): “There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Yisrael; you canst not stand before your enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

14 ‘In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which יהוה taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which יהוה shall take shall come by households; and the household which יהוה 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 יהוה, and because he hath wrought folly in Yisrael.’”

16 So Joshua (Yehoshua) rose up early in the morning, and brought Yisrael by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah (Yehudah) was taken;

17 And he brought the family of Judah (Yehudah); 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 (Yehudah), was taken.

19 And Joshua (Yehoshua) said unto Achan, “My son, please give glory to יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael), and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what you have done; hide it not from me.”

20 And Achan answered Joshua (Yehoshua), and said, “Indeed I have sinned against יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael), 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 hiddden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”

22 So Joshua (Yehoshua) sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hiddden 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 (Yehoshua), and unto all the children of Yisrael, and laid them out before יהוה.

24 And Joshua (Yehoshua), and all Yisrael 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 (Yehoshua) said, “Why have you troubled us? יהוה shall trouble you this day.” And all Yisrael 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 יהוה turned from the fierceness of His anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor, unto this day.