The Defeat at Ai

1And the sons of Israel committed a trespass regarding 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.

2And 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.

3And 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.”

4And the people went up from there, about three thousand men, and they fled before the face of the men of Ai. 5And 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.

6And 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.

7And 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! 8O my Lord, what shall I say now that Israel has turned its back before the face of its enemies? 9For 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?”

10And YHWH said to Joshua, “Get up, for you—why is this—you are falling on your face? 11Israel has sinned and also they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and also they have taken from the devoted thing, and both have stolen and deceived, and also they have put it among their vessels. 12And the sons of Israel are not able to stand before the face of their enemies; the backs are turned before the face of their enemies, because they have become devoted to destruction. Not anymore will I be with you⁺, if you⁺ do not destroy the devoted thing from among you⁺.

13Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says YHWH, God of Israel: A devoted thing is in your midst, O Israel. You are not able to stand before the face of your enemies until your⁺ turning aside of the devoted thing out of your⁺ midst. 14And you⁺ shall be brought near in the morning according to your⁺ tribes, and it shall come to pass that the tribe that YHWH takes shall come according to the clans, and the family that YHWH takes shall come by the houses, and the house that YHWH takes shall come by the man. 15And it shall be that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with the fire, he and all that is unto him, because he has transgressed the covenant of YHWH, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

The Sin of Achan

16And Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17And He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zerahites, and he brought the family of the Zerahites by the man, and Zabdi was taken. 18And he brought his house by the man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give, please, glory to YHWH, God of Israel, and make to Him confession and tell now me what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”

20And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly I have sinned against YHWH, God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21And I saw among the spoils one beautiful cloak of Shinar,† and two hundred shekels of silver,† and one wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels,† and I coveted them and took them, and there they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver is under it.”

22And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was hidden in his tent, and the silver under it. 23And they took them from the midst of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and poured them out before the face of YHWH.

24And Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the wedge of the gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that was unto him, and all Israel with him, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.

25And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? YHWH will trouble you this day!” And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with the fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26And they raised up over him a great heap of stones, to this day. And YHWH turned from the burning of His anger. Upon thus has been called the name of that place the Valley of Achor,† to this day.

Footnotes:

1 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to YHWH, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in verses 11, 12, 13, and 15.
1 Achan means troubler; also called Achar in 1 Chronicles 2:7.
1 Zabdi is a variant of Zimri; also in verses 17 and 18; see LXX and 1 Chronicles 2:6.
5 Or as far as Shebarim
21 That is, Babylonia
21 200 shekels is approximately 5 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of silver.
21 50 shekels is approximately 1.26 pounds or 569.8 grams of gold.
26 Achor means trouble.