Joshua Chapter 7

(2) Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which lies close to Beth-aven—east of Bethel—with orders to go up and spy out the country. So the men went up and spied out Ai. (3) They returned to Joshua and reported to him, “Not all the troops need go up. Let two or three thousand men go and attack Ai; do not trouble all the troops to go up there, for [the people] there are few.” (4) So about three thousand of the troops marched up there; but they fled from the men of Ai. (5) The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, pursuing them outside the gate as far as Shebarim, and cutting them down along the descent. And the heart of the troops sank in utter dismay.

(6) Joshua then tore his clothes. He and the elders of Israel lay until evening with their faces to the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD; and they strewed earth on their heads. (7) “Ah, Lord GOD!” cried Joshua. “Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan! (8) O Lord, what can I say after Israel has retreated before its enemies? (9) When the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land hear of this, they will turn upon us and wipe out our very name from the earth. And what will You do about Your great name?”

(10) But the LORD answered Joshua: “Arise! Why do you lie flat on your face? (11) Israel has sinned! They have broken the covenant by which I bound them. They have taken of the proscribed and put it in their vessels; they have stolen; they have broken faith! (12) Therefore, the Israelites will not be able to hold their ground against their enemies; they will have to retreat before their enemies, for they have become proscribed. I will not be with you any more unless you root out from among you what is proscribed. (13) Go and purify the people. Order them: Purify yourselves for tomorrow. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Something proscribed is in your midst, O Israel, and you will not be able to stand up to your enemies until you have removed the proscribed from among you. (14) Tomorrow morning you shall present yourselves by tribes. Whichever tribe the LORD indicates shall come forward by clans; the clan that the LORD indicates shall come forward by ancestral houses, and the ancestral house that the LORD indicates shall come forward man by man. (15) Then he who is indicated for proscription, and all that is his, shall be put to the fire, because he broke the Covenant of the LORD and because he committed an outrage in Israel.”

(19) Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, pay honor to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to Him. Tell me what you have done; do not hold anything back from me.” (20) Achan answered Joshua, “It is true, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: (21) I saw among the spoil a fine Shinar garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and I coveted them and took them. They are buried in the ground in my tent, with the silver under it.”

(22) Joshua sent messengers, who hurried to the tent; and there it was, buried in his tent, with the silver underneath. (23) They took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and displayed them before the LORD. (24) Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah—and the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold—his sons and daughters, and his ox, his donkey, and his flock, and his tent, and all his belongings, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor. (25) And Joshua said, “What disaster you have brought upon us! The LORD will bring disaster upon you this day.” And all Israel pelted him with stones. They put them to the fire and stoned them. (26) They raised a huge mound of stones over him, which is still there. Then the anger of the LORD subsided. That is why that place was named the Valley of Achor—as is still the case.