 1 But the children of Israel committed a sin in the cursed thing. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the thing that was cursed. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai that is beside Bethaven on the east side of Bethel. He spoke to them saying, Go and look over the country. So the men spied out Ai. 3 They returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go. But let about two or three thousand men go and strike Ai. Do not make all the people labor there, for they are few. 4 About 3,000 men of the people went there and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck about 36 men of them, for they chased them from before the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the road going down. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water. 6 Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why have you at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? And, oh that we had been content and lived on the other side Jordan. 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear, and shall surround us, and shall cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name? 10 The Lord said to Joshua, Get up. Why do you lie on your face this way? 11 Israel has sinned and they have broken my covenant that I commanded them. They have even taken from the cursed things and have also stolen and pretended falsely. They have even put it among their own stuff. 12 The children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They will turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become cursed. I will not be with you again, unless you destroy the one who is cursed from among you. 13 Up. Sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, A cursed thing is in the midst of you, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the cursed thing from among you. 14 In the morning, you shall be brought according to your tribes. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come, according to its families. And the family that the Lord shall take shall come by households. And the household that the Lord shall take shall come man by man. 15 Anyone who is taken with the cursed thing will be burned with fire, he and all he has, because he has broken the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done wickedness in Israel. 16 Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes. And the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the families of Judah. And he took the family of the Zerahites. And he took the family of the Zerahites man by man. And Zabdi was taken. 18 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, was taken. 19 Joshua said to Achan, I ask you my son to give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession to Him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. 20 Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and done this and that. 21 When I saw among the spoil a beautiful+ Babylonish garment, 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels weight, I coveted them and took them. Now they are hidden in the earth in the middle of my tent and the silver under it. 22 Joshua sent messengers, and they ran into the tent. And behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 They took them out of the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them out before the Lord. 24 Joshua and all Israel 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 donkeys and his sheep and his tent and all that he had. They brought them to the valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day. Then all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 They raised over him a great heap of stones to this day. And the Lord turned from the greatness of His anger. Therefore, the name of that valley is called, The Valley of Grief, to this day.
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