God's New Bible

The Book of Joshua

Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 7 -

1
But the children of Israel committed a trespasse in the excommunicate thing: for Achan the sonne of Carmi, the sonne of Zabdi, the sonne of Zerah of the tribe of Iuda tooke of the excommunicate thing: wherfore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
2
And Ioshua sent men from Iericho to Ai, which is beside Bethauen, on ye East side of Bethel, and spake vnto them, saying, Goe vp, and view the countrey. And ye men went vp, and viewed Ai,
3
And returned to Ioshua, and saide vnto him, Let not al the people go vp, but let as it were two or three thousand men go vp, and smite Ai, and make not al the people to labour thither, for they are fewe.
4
So there went vp thither of the people about three thousande men, and they fledde before the men of Ai.
5
And the men of Ai smote of them vpon a thirtie and sixe men: for they chased them from before the gate vnto Shebarim, and smote them in the going downe: wherfore the heartes of the people melted away like water.
6
Then Ioshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth vpon his face before the Arke of the Lord, vntill the euentide, he, and the Elders of Israel, and put dust vpon their heads.
7
And Ioshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou brought this people ouer Iorden, to deliuer vs into the hande of the Amorites, and to destroye vs? would God we had bene content to dwell on the other side Iorden.
8
Oh Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turne their backes before their enemies?
9
For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land shall heare of it, and shall compasse vs, and destroy our name out of the earth: and what wilt thou doe vnto thy mightie Name?
10
And the Lord said vnto Ioshua, Get thee vp: wherefore lyest thou thus vpon thy face?
11
Israel hath sinned, and they haue transgressed my couenant, which I commanded them: for they haue euen taken of the excommunicate thing, and haue also stollen, and dissembled also, and haue put it euen with their owne stuffe.
12
Therefore ye children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies, but haue turned their backes before their enemies, because they be execrable: neither will I bee with you any more, except ye destroy the excommunicate from among you.
13
Vp therefore, sanctifie the people, and say, Sanctifie your selues against to morowe: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an execrable thing among you, O Israel, therefore ye cannot stand against your enemies, vntill ye haue put the execrable thing from among you.
14
In the morning therefore ye shall come according to your tribes, and the tribe which the Lord taketh, shall come according to the families: and the familie which the Lord shall take, shall come by the housholds: and the houshold which the Lord shall take, shall come man by man.
15
And he that is taken with the excommunicate thing, shall be burnt with fire, hee, and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the couenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

The Sin of Achan

16
So Ioshua rose vp earely in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Iudah was taken.
17
And he brought the families of Iudah, and tooke the familie of the Zarhites, and he brought the familie of the Zarhites, man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18
And he brought his houshold, man by man, and Achan ye sonne of Carmi, the sonne of Zabdi, the sonne of Zerah of the tribe of Iudah was take.
19
Then Ioshua said vnto Achan, My sonne, I beseech thee, giue glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession vnto him, and shewe me now what thou hast done: hide it not from me.
20
And Achan answered Ioshua, and saide, In deede, I haue sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus, and thus haue I done.
21
I sawe among the spoyle a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundreth shekels of siluer, and a wedge of golde of fiftie shekels weight, and I coueted them, and tooke them: and behold, they lye hid in the earth in the mids of my tent, and the siluer vnder it.
22
Then Ioshua sent messengers, which ran vnto the tent, and beholde, it was hid in his tent, and the siluer vnder it.
23
Therefore they tooke them out of the tent, and brought them vnto Ioshua, and vnto all the children of Israel, and layd them before the Lord.
24
Then Ioshua tooke Achan the sonne of Zerah, and the siluer, and the garment and the wedge of golde and his sonnes, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheepe, and his tent, and all that hee had: and all Israel with him brought them vnto the valley of Achor.
25
And Ioshua said, In as much as thou hast troubled vs, the Lord shall trouble thee this day: and all Israel threwe stones at him, and burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
26
And they cast vpon him a great heape of stones vnto this day: and so the Lord turned from his fierce wrath: therefore hee called the name of that place, The valley of Achor, vnto this day.
1
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against the children of Israel.
2
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.
3
They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.”
4
So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5
The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.
6
Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the LORD’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7
Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!
8
Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
10
The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
11
Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
12
Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13
Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the LORD, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
14
In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which the LORD selects shall come near by families. The family which the LORD selects shall come near by households. The household which the LORD selects shall come near man by man.
15
It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the LORD’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

The Sin of Achan

16
So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
17
He brought near the family of Judah, and he selected the family of the Zerahites. He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was selected.
18
He brought near 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 selected.
19
Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”
20
Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.
21
When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels (a) of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23
They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the LORD.
24
Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
25
Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26
They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was calledThe valley of Achorto this day.

Footnotes

(a)7:21 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.