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the Israelites were unfaithful regarding the things set apart. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things set apart; and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went and spied out Ai.
3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the people will need to go up, but send about two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Spare all the people from such an effort, for the people of Ai are few in number.” 4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and chased them from outside the gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the descent. At this, the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to settle on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all the other people who live in this land hear about it, they will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why are you lying facedown like this? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant which I commanded them. They have taken some of the things set apart; they have stolen and deceived, and they have put them among their own belongings. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore, unless you destroy the things set apart for destruction from among you.
13 “Go and consecrate the people. Say to them, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, “There are things set apart for destruction among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove things set apart from among you”.
14 ‘Tomorrow morning you must present yourselves, tribe by tribe. Then the tribe the Lord selects will come forward clan by clan; and the clan the Lord selects will come forward household by household; and the family the Lord selects will come forward man by man. 15 Then the man who is caught with the things set apart will be burned with fire, along with everything that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel’.”
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and he selected the clan of the Zerahites; and he had the clan of the Zerahites come forward family by family, and Zabdi was selected. 18 Then he had the household come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. Tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.
20 So Achan answered Joshua, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the Lord.
24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, with the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you this day.”
Then all Israel stoned him to death; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them. 26 They raised a great heap of stones over Achan that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from His fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.