The Israelites are smitten at Ai.

1 ¶ But the childrenº of Israelº committedºª a trespassº in the accursed thing:º for Achan,º the sonº of Carmi,º the sonº of Zabdi,º the sonº of Zerah,º of the tribeº of Judah,º tookºª of² the accursed thing:º and the angerº of the LORDº was kindledºª against the childrenº of Israel.º 2 And Joshuaº sentºª men¹² from Jerichoº² to Ai,º which² [is] besideº Bethaven,º on the east sideº² of Bethel,º and spakeºª unto² them, saying,ºª Go upºª and viewºª² the country.º And the men¹² went upºª and viewedºª² Ai.º 3 And they returnedºª to² Joshua,º and saidºª unto² him, Let not² all² the peopleº go up;ºª but let about two² or² threeº thousandº menº go upºª and smiteºª² Ai;º [and] make not²² all² the peopleº to labourºª thither;² for² they² [are but] few.º 4 So there went upºª thither² of² the peopleº about threeº thousandº men:º and they fledºª beforeº the men¹² of Ai.º 5 And the men¹² of Aiº smoteºª of² them about thirtyº and sixº men:º for they chasedºª them [from] beforeº the gateº [even] unto² Shebarim,º and smoteºª them in the going down:º wherefore the heartsº of the peopleº melted,ºª and became² as water.º

Joshua's complaint.

6 ¶ And Joshuaº rentºª his clothes,º and fellºª to the earthº upon² his faceº beforeº the arkº of the LORDº until² the eventide,º he² and the eldersº of Israel,º and putºª dustº upon² their heads.º 7 And Joshuaº said,ºª Alas,² O¹ Lordº GOD,º wherefore² hast thou at all¹ª broughtºª² this² peopleº overºª² Jordan,º to deliverºª us into the handº of the Amorites,º to destroyºª us? would to Godº we had been content,ºª and dweltºª on the other sideº Jordan!º 8 Oº Lord,º what² shall I say,ºª whenº² Israelº turnethºª their backsº beforeº their enemies!ºª 9 For the Canaanitesº and all² the inhabitantsºª of the landº shall hearºª [of it], and shall environ us round,ºª² and cut offºª² our nameº from² the earth:º and what² wilt thou doºª unto thy greatº name?º

God instructeth him what to do.

10 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Joshua,º Get thee up;ºª wherefore² liestºª thou² thus² upon² thy face?º 11 Israelº hath sinned,ºª and they have also² transgressedºª² my covenantº which² I commandedºª them: for they have even² takenºª of² the accursed thing,º and have also² stolen,ºª and dissembledºª also,² and they have putºª [it] even² among their own stuff.º 12 Therefore the childrenº of Israelº couldºª not² standºª beforeº their enemies,ºª [but] turnedºª [their] backsº beforeº their enemies,ºª because² they were² accursed:º neither² will I be² with² you any more,ºª exceptº² ye destroyºª the accursedº from amongº² you. 13 Up,ºª sanctifyºª² the people,º and say,ºª Sanctify¹ª yourselves² against to morrow:º for² thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º [There is] an accursed thingº in the midstº of thee, O Israel:º thou canstºª not² standºª beforeº thine enemies,ºª until² ye take awayºª the accursed thingº from amongº² you. 14 In the morningº therefore ye shall be broughtºª according to your tribes:º and it shall be,² [that] the tribeº which² the LORDº takethºª shall comeºª according to the familiesº [thereof]; and the familyº which² the LORDº shall takeºª shall comeºª by households;º and the householdº which² the LORDº shall takeºª shall comeºª man¹ by man.º 15 And it shall be,² [that] he that is takenºª with the accursed thingº shall be burntºª with fire,º he and all² that² he hath: because² he hath transgressedºª² the covenantº of the LORD,º and because² he hath wroughtºª follyº in Israel.º

Achan is taken by the lot.

16 ¶ So Joshuaº rose up earlyºª in the morning,º and broughtºª² Israelº by their tribes;º and the tribeº of Judahº was taken:ºª 17 And he broughtºª² the familyº of Judah;º and he tookºª² the familyº of the Zarhites:º and he broughtºª² the familyº of the Zarhitesº man¹ by man;º and Zabdiº was taken:ºª 18 And he broughtºª² his householdº man¹ by man;º and Achan,º the sonº of Carmi,º the sonº of Zabdi,º the sonº of Zerah,º of the tribeº of Judah,º was taken.ºª

His confession.

19 And Joshuaº saidºª unto² Achan,º My son,º give,ºª I pray thee,² gloryº to the LORDº Godº of Israel,º and makeºª confessionº unto him; and tellºª me now² what² thou hast done;ºª hideºª [it] not² from² me. 20 And Achanº answeredºª² Joshua,º and said,ºª Indeedº I² have sinnedºª against the LORDº Godº of Israel,º and thus² and thus² have I done:ºª 21 When I sawºª among the spoilsº aº goodlyº Babylonishº garment,º and two hundredº shekelsº of silver,º and aº wedgeº of goldº of fiftyº shekelsº weight,º then I covetedºª them, and tookºª them; and, behold,² they [are] hidºª in the earthº in the midstº of my tent,º and the silverº under² it.

He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor.

22 ¶ So Joshuaº sentºª messengers,º and they ranºª unto the tent;º and, behold,² [it was] hidºª in his tent,º and the silverº under² it. 23 And they tookºª them out of the midstº² of the tent,º and broughtºª them unto² Joshua,º and unto² all² the childrenº of Israel,º and laid them outºª beforeº the LORD.º 24 And Joshua,º and all² Israelº with² him, tookºª² Achanº the sonº of Zerah,º and the silver,º and the garment,º and the wedgeº of gold,º and his sons,º and his daughters,º and his oxen,º and his asses,º and his sheep,º and his tent,º and all² that² he had: and they broughtºª them unto the valleyº of Achor.º 25 And Joshuaº said,ºª Whyº hast thou troubledºª us? the LORDº shall troubleºª thee this² day.º And all² Israelº stoned¹ª² him with stones,º and burnedºª them with fire,º after they had stoned¹ª² them with stones.º 26 And they raisedºª over² him a greatº heapº of stonesº unto² this² day.º So the LORDº turnedºª from the fiercenessº² of his anger.º Wherefore²² the nameº of that² placeº was called,ºª The valleyº of Achor,º unto² this² day.º