The Sin of Achan

1But the children of Israel 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, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

3And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; and make not all the people to toil up there; for they are but few.

4So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

5And the men of Ai struck of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and struck them on the descent: therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

6And Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelled on the other side of Jordan!

8O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turns their backs before their enemies!

9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us, and cut off our name from the earth: and what will you do for your great name?

10And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get you up; why do you lie thus upon your face?

11Israel has 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 deceived also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

12Therefore the children of Israel 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, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow: for thus says the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you.

14In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has: because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has worked shame in Israel.

16So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

17And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

18And 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.

19And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray you, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what you have done; hide it not from me.

20And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:

21When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian 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 hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

23And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

24And 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: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

25And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? the LORD shall trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

26And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.