¹But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things ; for Achan , the son of Carmi , the son of Zabdi , the son of Zerah , of the tribe of Judah , took some of the devoted things . Therefore the LORD ’s anger burnt against the children of Israel .

²Joshua sent men 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 men went up and spied out Ai .

³They returned to Joshua , and said to him , “Don’t let all the people go up , but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai . Don’t make all the people to toil there , for there are only a few of them .”

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

⁵The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them . They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim , and struck them at the descent . The hearts of the people melted , and became like water .

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

⁷Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD , why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all , to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish ? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan !

⁸Oh, Lord, what shall I say , after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?

⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it , and will surround us , and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name ?”

¹⁰The LORD said to Joshua , “Get up ! Why have you fallen on your face like that ?

¹¹Israel has sinned . Yes , they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them . Yes , they have even taken some of the devoted things , and have also stolen , and also deceived . They have even put it amongst their own stuff .

¹²Therefore the children of Israel can ’t stand before their enemies . They turn their backs before their enemies , because they have become devoted for destruction . I will not be with you any more , unless you destroy the devoted things from amongst you .

¹³Get up ! Sanctify the people , and say , ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow , for the LORD , the God of Israel , says , “There is a devoted thing amongst you , Israel . You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from amongst you .”

¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes . It shall be that the tribe which the LORD selects shall come near by families . The family which the LORD selects shall come near by households . The household which the LORD selects shall come near man by man .

¹⁵It shall be , that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has , because he has transgressed the LORD ’s covenant , and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel .’”

¹⁶So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes . The tribe of Judah was selected.

¹⁷He brought near the family of Judah , and he selected the family of the Zerahites . He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man , and Zabdi was selected.

¹⁸He brought near 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 selected.

¹⁹Joshua said to Achan , “My son , please give glory to the LORD , the God of Israel , and make confession to him . Tell me now what you have done ! Don’t hide it from me !”

²⁰Achan answered Joshua , and said , “I have truly sinned against the LORD , the God of Israel , and this is what I have done .

²¹When I saw amongst the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver , and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels , then I coveted them and took them . Behold , they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it .”[#7:21 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.]

²²So Joshua sent messengers , and they ran to the tent. Behold , it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it .

²³They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel . They laid them down before the LORD .

²⁴Joshua , and all Israel with him , took Achan the son of Zerah , the silver , the robe, the wedge of gold , his sons , his daughters , his cattle , his donkeys , his sheep , his tent, and all that he had ; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor .

²⁵Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us ? The LORD will trouble you today .” All Israel stoned him with stones , and they burnt them with fire and stoned them with stones .

²⁶They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day . The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger . Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor ” to this day .