(KJV) Joshua 7¹

⥃The Defeat at Ai

[1] But the children of Israel committed² a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan³, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took⁴ of the accursed thing: and the anger⁵ of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. [2] And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai⁶, which [is] beside Beth–aven⁷, on the east side of Beth–el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up⁸ and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. [3] And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two⁹ or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour thither; for they [are but] few. [4] So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled¹⁰ before the men of Ai. [5] And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they¹¹ chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down¹²: wherefore¹³ the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

[6] And Joshua rent¹⁴ his clothes, and fell¹⁵ to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide¹⁶, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust¹⁷ upon their heads. [7] And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore¹⁸ hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver¹⁹ us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to²⁰ God we had been content, and dwelt²¹ on the other side Jordan! [8] O Lord, what shall²² I say, when Israel turneth their backs²³ before their enemies! [9] For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear²⁴ [of it], and shall environ²⁵ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou²⁶ do unto thy great name?

[10] And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore²⁷ liest²⁸ thou thus upon thy face? [11] Israel²⁹ hath sinned, and they have also transgressed³⁰ my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed³¹ thing, and have also stolen³², and dissembled³³ also, and they have put [it] even among³⁴ their own stuff. [12] Therefore the children³⁵ of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were³⁶ accursed: neither³⁷ will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. [13] Up, sanctify³⁸ the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [There is] an accursed³⁹ thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away⁴⁰ the accursed thing from among you. [14] In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, [that] the tribe⁴¹ which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families [thereof]; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. [15] And it shall be, [that] he that is⁴² taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath⁴³: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought⁴⁴ folly⁴⁵ in Israel.

⥃The Sin of Achan

[16] So Joshua rose up⁴⁶ early in the morning, and brought⁴⁷ Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: [17] And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:⁴⁸ [18] And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken⁴⁹. [19] And Joshua said unto Achan, My son⁵⁰, give⁵¹, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make⁵² confession unto him; and tell me⁵³ now what thou hast done; hide [it] not from me. [20] And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed⁵⁴ I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: [21] When I saw⁵⁵ among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment⁵⁶, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge⁵⁷ of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted⁵⁸ them, and took them⁵⁹; and, behold, they [are] hid⁶⁰ in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

[22] [¶]So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it. [23] And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out⁶¹ before the Lord. [24] And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan⁶² the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons⁶³, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley⁶⁴ of Achor. [25] And Joshua said, Why hast⁶⁵ thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel⁶⁶ stoned him with stones, and burned⁶⁷ them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. [26] And they raised⁶⁸ over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord⁶⁹ turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley⁷⁰ of Achor⁷¹, unto this day.