The Defeat at Ai

1And the sons of Israel will transgress a transgression in the devoted thing: and Achan, son of Carmi son of Zabdi, son of Zerah to the tribe; of Judah, will take from the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah will kindle against the sons of Israel.

2And Joshua will send men from Jericho to Ai, which is by the house of Ain, from the east, to the house of God, and he will say to them, saying, Go up and spy the land. And the men will go up and will spy Ai. 3And they will turn back to Joshua, and will say to him, All the people shall not go up; about two thousand men or about three thousand men shall go up and smite Ai: thou shalt not weary there all the people for they few. 4And they will go up there from the people about three thousand men: and they will flee from the face of the men of Ai. 5And the men of Ai will smite of them about thirty and six men; and they will pursue them before the gate, even to Shebarim; and they will smite them in going down, and the heart of the people will melt and will be as water.

6And Joshua will rend his garments and will fall upon his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah even till evening, he and the old men of Israel; and they will lift up dust upon their heads. 7And Joshua will say, Ah! Lord Jehovah, wherefore, passing over, didst thou cause this people to pass over Jordan, to give us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us? and would we were contented and dwelt on the other side of Jordan. 8With leave, O Lord, what to say, after that Israel turned back the neck before his enemies. 9And the Canaanite and all inhabiting the land shall hear, and they encompassed about us, and they cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do to thy great name?

10And Jehovah will say to Joshua, Rise up; for thyself wherefore this didst thou fall upon thy face? 11Israel sinned and also passed by my covenant which I commanded them: and also they took from the devoted thing, and also stole, and also lied, and also put in their vessels. 12And the sons of Israel shall not be able to rise up before their enemies; they will turn the neck before their enemies for they were for a devoted thing: I will not add to be with you if ye ill not destroy the devoted thing from the midst of you. 13Arise, consecrate the people, and say, Be ye consecrated for the morrow: for thus said Jehovah the God of Israel, A devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou shalt not be able to rise up before thine enemy till your removing the devoted thing from the midst of you. 14And come near in the morning according to your tribes: and it was the tribe which Jehovah shall take of us shall come near according to the families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near according to houses; and the house which Jehovah shall take shall come near according to the men. 15And it was he being taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt in fire, he and all which is to him: for he passed by the covenant of Jehovah, and because he did folly in Israel.

The Sin of Achan

16And Joshua will rise early in the morning, and he will bring Israel near according to his tribes; and he will take the tribe of Judah. 17And he will bring near the family of Judah; and he will take the family of the Zarhites: and he will bring near the family of the Zarhites according to the men; and Zabdi will be taken. 18And he will bring near his house according to the men, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, to the tribe of Judah, will be taken. 19And Joshua will say to Achan, My son, set now, honor to Jehovah the God of Israel, and give to him confession; and announce now to me what thou didst; thou shalt not hide from me. 20And Achan will answer Joshua and will say, Truly, I sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel, and according to this, and according to this I did. 21And I shall see in the plunder a wide cloak of Shinar, a good one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one tongue of gold of fifty shekels from its weight, and I shall desire them, and shall take them, and behold them hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22And Joshua will send messengers, and they will run to the tent, and behold, the hiding in his tent, and the silver under it. 23And they will take them from the midst of the tent and will bring them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they will pour them out before Jehovah. 24And Joshua will take Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver and the wide cloak, and the tongue of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep and his tent, and all which is to him, and all Israel with him, and they will bring them up to the valley of Achor. 25And Joshua will say, Why didst thou trouble us? Jehovah will trouble thee in this day, and all Israel will stone him with stone, and they will burn them in fire, and they will stone them with stones. 26And they will raise up upon him a great heap of stones even till this day. And Jehovah will turn back from the wrath of his anger: for this, the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, even to this day.