Joshua 7:1-9 ▼

1 And the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully—an unfaithfulness—against a devoted thing. For Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing. And the anger of YHWH burned against the sons of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai—which is near Beth-aven on the east side of Bethel—and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.

3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two thousand men or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not wear out all the people there, for they are few.”

4 And the people went up from there, about three thousand men, and they fled before the face of the men of Ai.

5 And the men of Ai struck down from them about thirty and six men, and they chased them from the face of the gate as far as Shebarim, and they struck them down on the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became water.

6 And Joshua tore his clothes and fell on his face to the earth before the face of the ark of YHWH until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.

7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord YHWH, why did You ever cause this people to pass over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us? And if only we had been content and had stayed on the other side of the Jordan!

8 O my Lord, what shall I say now that Israel has turned its back before the face of its enemies?

9 For the Canaanite and all those dwelling in the land will hear it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?”