Joshua 7

1But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel.

1But the Israelites were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the forbidden items. Because of this, the Lord became very angry with the people of Israel.

2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.

2Joshua sent men from Jericho to the town of Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel. He told them, 'Go up and scout the land.' So the men went up and explored 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 smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few.

3They returned to Joshua and said, 'There is no need for everyone to go. Just send two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Don't make the whole army work so hard, because there are only a few people there.'

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

4So about three thousand men went up, but they were forced to run away from the men of Ai.

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

5The men of Ai killed about thirty-six Israelites. They chased them from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slope. Because of this, the people lost their courage and were terrified.

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

6Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown on the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and they all threw dust on their heads to show their grief.

7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan!

7Joshua said, 'Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring this people across the Jordan River just to hand us over to the Amorites to be destroyed? I wish we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!'

8Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies!

8'O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has turned and run from its enemies?'

9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will compass us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do for thy great name?

9'When the Canaanites and everyone else in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe us off the face of the earth. Then what will happen to the honor of your great name?'

10And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?

10The Lord said to Joshua, 'Get up! Why are you lying there on your face?'

11Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff.

11'Israel has sinned. They have broken the covenant I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the things set apart for destruction; they have stolen, lied, and hidden those things among their own belongings.'

12Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you.

12'That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They turn and run because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the forbidden things from among you.'

13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you.

13'Get up! Purify the people. Tell them: "Purify yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord, the God of Israel, says there are forbidden things among you, O Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove them."'

14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man.

14'In the morning, you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects must come forward clan by clan. The clan the Lord selects must come forward family by family. Then the family the Lord selects must come forward man by man.'

15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

15'The person caught with the forbidden things must be destroyed by fire, along with everything he owns. He has broken the Lord’s covenant and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.'

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

16Joshua got up early the next morning and brought Israel forward tribe by tribe. The tribe of Judah was selected.

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

17He brought forward the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He brought forward the families of the Zerahites, and the family of Zabdi was selected.

18and 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 taken.

18Joshua brought Zabdi’s family forward man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

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

19Then Joshua said to Achan, 'My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and tell the truth. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.'

20And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

20Achan answered Joshua, 'It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did:'

21when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, 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.

21'Among the loot, I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, two hundred silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing over a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.'

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

22So Joshua sent messengers, who ran to the tent. They found the things hidden there, with the silver at the bottom.

23And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel; and they laid them down before Jehovah.

23They took the items from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. They laid them out on the ground in the presence of the Lord.

24And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor.

24Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything he owned. They brought them all to the Valley of Achor.

25And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.

25Joshua said, 'Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.' Then all Israel stoned him. After they stoned them, they burned them with fire.

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

26They piled a great heap of stones over him, which is still there today. Then the Lord stopped being angry. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.