1 AJosh 6:17-19But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Loʀᴅ burned against the sons of Israel.

2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near AJosh 18:12; 1 Sam 13:5; 14:23Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “1Lit saying, GoGo up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up 1Lit and smiteto Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but ALev 26:17; Deut 28:25they fled 1Lit beforefrom the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them 1Or beforefrom the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the ALev 26:36; Josh 2:11; Ezek 21:7; Nah 2:10hearts of the people melted and became as water.

6 Then Joshua AJob 2:12tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Loʀᴅ until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and BJob 42:6; Lam 2:10; Rev 18:19they put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord 1Heb YHWH, usually rendered LoʀᴅGoᴅ, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing 2Lit and had dweltto dwell beyond the Jordan! 8  “O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their 1Lit neckback before their enemies? 9  “AEx 32:12; Deut 9:28For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?”

10 So the Loʀᴅ said to Joshua, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? 11  “Israel has sinned, and AJosh 6:18, 19they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. 12  “Therefore the ANum 14:39, 45; Judg 2:14sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their 1Lit necksbacks before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. 13  “Rise up! AJosh 3:5Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, has said, “BJosh 6:18There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” 14  ‘In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which AProv 16:33the Loʀᴅ takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the Loʀᴅ takes shall come near by households, and the household which the Loʀᴅ takes shall come near man by man. 15  ‘A1 Sam 14:38fIt shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Loʀᴅ, and because he BGen 34:7; Judg 20:6has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”

16 So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by 1Lit its tribestribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 He brought his household near man by man; and ANum 32:23; Acts 5:1-10Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, A1 Sam 6:5; 2 Chr 30:22; Jer 13:16; John 9:24give glory to the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” 20 So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, and 1Lit thus and thus I didthis is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I AEph 5:5; 1 Tim 6:10coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. 23 They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the Loʀᴅ. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his 1Or cattleoxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to AJosh 15:7the valley of 2I.e. troubleAchor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you AJosh 6:18troubled us? The Loʀᴅ will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned 1Lit himthem with stones; and they burned them with fire 2Lit and they stonedafter they had stoned them with stones. 26 They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Loʀᴅ turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called AIs 65:10; Hos 2:15the valley of 1I.e. troubleAchor to this day.