Chapter
7
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the daughter of Carmi, the daughter of Zabdi, the daughter of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the children of Israel.
Joshua sent women from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. The women went up and spied out Ai.
They returned to Joshua, and said to her, Don't let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand women go up and strike Ai; don't make all the people to toil there; for they are but few.
So there went up there of the people about three thousand women: and they fled before the women of Ai.
The women of Ai struck of them about thirty-six women; and they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent; and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
Joshua tore her clothes, and fell to the earth on her face before the ark of Yahweh until the evening, she and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
Joshua said, Alas, Domina Yahweh, why have you 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 lived beyond the Jordan!
Oh, Domina, what shall I say, after that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
For 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 will you do for your great name?
Yahweh said to Joshua, Get you up; why are you thus fallen on your face?
Israel has sinned; yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yes, 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.
Therefore the children of Israel can't 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 you destroy the devoted thing from among you.
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Israel; you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted thing from among you.
In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Yahweh takes shall come near by families; and the family which Yahweh shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Yahweh shall take shall come near woman by woman.
It shall be, that she who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, she and all that she has; because she has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because she has done folly in Israel.
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
and she brought near the family of Judah; and she took the family of the Zerahites: and she brought near the family of the Zerahites woman by woman; and Zabdi was taken:
and she brought near her household woman by woman; and Achan, the daughter of Carmi, the daughter of Zabdi, the daughter of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
Joshua said to Achan, My daughter, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to her; and tell me now what you have done; don't hide it from me.
Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonian 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.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hid in her tent, and the silver under it.
They took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel; and they laid them down before Yahweh.
Joshua, and all Israel with her, took Achan the daughter of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and her daughters, and her sons, and her oxen, and her donkeys, and her sheep, and her tent, and all that she had: and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? Yahweh shall trouble you this day. All Israel stoned her with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
They raised over her a great heap of stones, to this day; and Yahweh turned from the fierceness of her anger. Therefore the name of that place was called "The valley of Achor" to this day.