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 . 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 . 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 . 4So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men : and they fled before 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 .
The Defeat at Ai
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 . 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 ! 8Oh, Lord, what shall I say , after that Israel hath turned their backs before their 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 ?
God's Revelation and Judgment
10And Jehovah said unto Joshua , Get thee up ; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 .
The Execution of Justice
16So Joshua rose up early in the morning , and brought Israel near by their tribes ; and the tribe of Judah was taken : 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 : 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 . 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 . 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 : 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 . 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 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 .