Achan’s Sin Causes Ai’s Victory

1But 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 YHWH’s anger burned against the children of Israel. 2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Y’all go up and spy out the land.”

The men went up and spied out Ai. 3They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t send all people, but send about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make the whole army weary, for there are only a few of them.” 4So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai. 5The 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. 6Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of YHWH until the evening. He and the elders of Israel put dust on their heads. 7Joshua said, “Alas, Lord YHWH, why did you bring-bring these people over the Jordan, only 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! 8Oh, Lord, what should I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies? 9For 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?”

10YHWH said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that? 11Israel 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. 12Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with y’all any more, unless y’all destroy the devoted things from among y’all. 13You must get up and consecrate the people. Say, ‘Y’all must consecrate yourselves* for tomorrow, for YHWH, the God of Israel, says, “There are devoted things among y’all, Israel. Y’all cannot stand before y’all’s enemies until y’all have removed the devoted thing from among y’all.” 14In the morning y’all are to approach in order of y’all’s tribes. The tribe that YHWH selects will approach by clan. Then the clan that YHWH selects must approach by households. The household that YHWH selects must approach man by man. 15The one who is caught with the devoted thing will be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of YHWH, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

Achan’s Judgment

16So Joshua rose up early in the morning and had Israel come forward by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected. 17He made the clan of Judah approach, and he selected the clan of the Zerahites. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach man by man, and Zabdi was selected. 18He made his household approach man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to YHWH, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”

20Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against YHWH, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done. 21When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels+7:21 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Look, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. There it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23They 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 YHWH. 24Joshua, 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. 25Joshua said, “Why have you brought trouble on us? YHWH will bring trouble on you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. YHWH turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.