Josué 7

Breaking faith over the devoted things

¹But the Israelites broke faith over the devoted things. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took a share of the devoted things, and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites. ²Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which lies near Beth-aven, east of Bethel. He told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted out Ai. ³They came back to Joshua and said to him, “There is no need for all the people to go up. Let about 2,000 or 3,000 men go up and attack Ai. Do not wear out the whole army with the climb, because the people of Ai are few.” ⁴So about 3,000 of the people went up there, but they ran away from the men of Ai. ⁵The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them. They chased them from outside the city gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the slope. The people lost heart; their courage melted like water. ⁶Joshua tore his clothes and fell face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and he stayed there until evening, he and the elders of Israel. They threw dust on their heads. ⁷Then Joshua said, “Oh, Lord GOD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan, only to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been willing to stay on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸Please, Lord, what can I say now that Israel has turned and run from its enemies? ⁹The Canaanites and everyone who lives in the land will hear of it. They will surround us and wipe our name off the earth. Then what will you do for your great name?”

Achan is found out

¹⁰The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying face down like this? ¹¹Israel has sinned. They have broken my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things. They have stolen, they have lied, and they have put the things among their own belongings. ¹²That is why the Israelites cannot stand up to their enemies. They turn and run from them, because they themselves have become devoted to destruction. I will not be with you any longer unless you destroy the devoted things that are among you. ¹³Get up and consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the LORD, the God of Israel, says this: “There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand up to your enemies until you remove the devoted things from among you.” ¹⁴In the morning you are to come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD picks out is to come forward clan by clan. The clan that the LORD picks out is to come forward household by household, and the household that the LORD picks out is to come forward man by man. ¹⁵The one who is picked out with the devoted things is to be burned, he and everything he has, because he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a shameful thing in Israel.’” ¹⁶Joshua rose early the next morning and brought Israel forward by tribes. The tribe of Judah was picked out. ¹⁷He brought forward the clans of Judah, and the Zerahite clan was picked out. He brought forward the Zerahite clan man by man, and Zabdi was picked out.^{ab 18}He had Zabdi’s household come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was picked out. ¹⁹Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory now to the LORD, the God of Israel. Make your confession to him. Tell me what you have done. Do not hide anything from me.” ²⁰Achan answered Joshua, “It is true. I am the one who sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. Here is what I did: ²¹Among the spoil I saw a beautiful cloak from Babylonia, about 5 pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing about 1 1/4 pounds. I coveted them and took them, and now they are buried in the ground in the middle of my tent. The silver is at the bottom.” ²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. There it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. ²³They took the things out of the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and laid them out before the LORD. ²⁴Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, seized Achan son of Zerah, together with the silver, the cloak and the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent, and all that he owned, and they led them up to the Valley of Achor.^{c 25}Joshua said, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him; they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.^{d 26}They raised a large pile of stones over him, which is there to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.^e