Joshua 7:1-13 ▼

1 And the sons of Israel commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, takes from the devoted thing, and the anger of YHWH burns against the sons of Israel.

2 And Joshua sends men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] near Beth-Aven, on the east of Bethel, and speaks to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land”; and the men go up and spy Ai,

3 and they return to Joshua, and say to him, “Do not let all the people go up; let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up, and they strike Ai; do not cause all the people to labor there; for they [are] few.”

4 So about three thousand men of the people go up from there, and they flee before the men of Ai,

5 and the men of Ai strike about thirty-six men from them, and pursue them before the gate to Shebarim, and they strike them in Morad; and the heart of the people is melted, and becomes water.

6 And Joshua tears his garments, and falls on his face to the earth before the Ark of YHWH until the evening, he and [the] elderly of Israel, and they cause dust to go up on their head.

7 And Joshua says, “Aah! Lord YHWH, why have You caused this people to pass over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? And oh that we had been willing—and we dwell beyond the Jordan!

8 Oh, Lord, what do I say, after that Israel has turned the neck before its enemies?

9 And the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land hear, and have come around against us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what do You do for Your great Name?”

10 And YHWH says to Joshua, “Rise, for you—why this—[that] you [are] falling on your face?

11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, and also taken of the devoted thing, and also stolen, and also deceived, and also put [it] among their vessels,

12 and the sons of Israel have not been able to stand before their enemies; they turn the neck before their enemies, for they have become a devoted thing; I do not add to be with you—if you do not destroy the devoted thing from your midst.

13 Rise, sanctify the people, and you have said, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus said YHWH, God of Israel: A devoted thing [is] in your midst, O Israel, you are not able to stand before your enemies until your turning aside the devoted thing from your midst;