Joshua 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 But the Israelites were unfaithful to the curse of destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son ofZerah, of the tribe of Judah, took something that fell under the curse of destruction, and the anger of Yahwehwas aroused against the Israelites.	1 But the sons of Israel transgressed the commandment, and they usurped what was anathema. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took something from what was anathema. And the Lord became angry against the sons of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is near Beth-Aven), to the east of Bethel, having said tothem, 'Go up and reconnoitre the country.' They went up and reconnoitred Ai.	2 And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Ai, which is beside Bethaven, toward the eastern region of the town of Bethel, he said to them, “Go up and explore the land.” And they fulfilled his instruction, and they explored Ai.
3 Coming back to Joshua, they said, 'There is no need for the whole people to go up; let some two orthree thousand go and attack Ai. Spare the whole people such an effort; there are only a few of them!'	3 And returning, they said to him: “Let not the entire people go up. Instead, let two or three thousand men go out and destroy the city. Why should all the people be troubled without cause against enemies that are so very few?”
4 Of the people, some three thousand marched up, but these broke before the people of Ai,	4 Therefore, they went up with three thousand fighters. And they promptly turned their backs,
5 who killed some thirty-six of them and pursued them from the town gate as far as Shebarim, and on theslope cut them to pieces. The hearts of the people melted away and turned to water.	5 and were struck down by the men of the city of Ai. And thirty-six men of them fell. And the adversaries pursued them from the gate, even as far as Shebarim. And they felled them as they were fleeing downward. And the heart of the people was struck with fear, and it melted like water.
6 Joshua then tore his clothes and prostrated himself before the ark of Yahweh til nightfal ; the elders ofIsrael did the same, and all poured dust on their heads.	6 And truly, Joshua tore his garments, and he fell prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord, even until evening, both he and all the elders of Israel. And they cast dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, 'Alas, Lord Yahweh, why did you bother to bring this nation across the Jordan, if it wasonly to put us at the mercy of the Amorites and destroy us? If only we could have settled down on the other sideof the Jordan!	7 And Joshua said: “Alas, O Lord God! Why would you want to lead this people over the river Jordan, so that you might deliver us into the hand of the Amorite and destroy us? I wish that we had remained beyond the Jordan, as when we began.
8 Forgive me, Lord, but what can I say, now that Israel has turned tail on the enemy?	8 My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning their backs to their enemies?
9 The Canaanites, al the inhabitants of the land, wil hear of it; they wil unite against us to wipe our namefrom the earth. And what wil you do about your great Name then?'	9 The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and coming together as one, they will surround us, and they will wipe our name from the earth. And what will you do concerning your great name?”
10 Yahweh said to Joshua, 'Stand up! Why are you lying prostrate like this?	10 And the Lord said to Joshua: “Rise up. Why are you lying flat on the ground?
11 Israel has sinned; they have violated the covenant which I imposed on them. They have gone so far asto take what was under the curse of destruction, they have even stolen it; they have actual y hidden it; they have put it in their baggage.	11 Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant. And they have taken from what is anathema. And they have stolen and lied, and they have hidden it among their goods.
12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand up to their foes, why they have turned tail on their enemies:because they have come under the curse of destruction themselves. Unless you get rid of the object among youwhich has been put under the curse of destruction, I shal be with you no longer.'	12 Israel is not able to stand before his enemies, and he will flee from them. For he has been defiled by what is anathema. I will be no longer be with you, until you destroy him who is guilty of this wickedness.
13 'Get up, sanctify the people and say, "Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, since Yahweh, the God ofIsrael, declares: The curse of destruction has now fal en on you, Israel; you wil not be able to stand up to yourenemies, until you have rid yourselves of that object which has been put under the curse of destruction.	13 Rise up. Sanctify the people. And you shall say to them: ‘Be sanctified tomorrow. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: That which is anathema is in your midst, O Israel! You are not able to stand before your enemies, until he who has been contaminated by this wickedness is taken away from you.’
14 Tomorrow morning, therefore, you wil come forward tribe by tribe, and then the tribe which Yahwehselects by lot will come forward clan by clan, and the clan which Yahweh selects by lot will come forward familyby family, and the family which Yahweh selects by lot wil come forward man by man.	14 And you shall draw near in the morning, each one by your tribes. And whichever tribe will be found by lot shall come forward by its families, and the families by houses, and the house by the men.
15 And the man indicated by lot as regards the object which has been put under the curse of destructionwil be delivered to the flames, he and al his possessions, for having violated the covenant with Yahweh and forhaving committed an infamy in Israel." '	15 And whoever he may be that will be found guilty of this deed, he shall be burnt with fire with all his substance. For he transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and he committed a wicked act in Israel.”
16 Joshua got up early; he made Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the lot indicated the tribe ofJudah.	16 And so Joshua, rising in the morning, brought forth Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was found.
17 He summoned the clans of Judah, and the lot indicated the clan of Zerah. He summoned the clan ofZerah, family by family, and the lot indicated Zabdi.	17 And when its families had been presented, the family of Zerah was found. Likewise, bringing that one forward by the houses, he discovered Zabdi.
18 Joshua then summoned the family of Zabdi, man by man, and the lot indicated Achan son of Carmi,son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.	18 And dividing his house by each man, he found Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah.
19 Joshua then said to Achan, 'My son, give glory to Yahweh, God of Israel, and confess; tel me whatyou have done and hide nothing from me.'	19 And Joshua said to Achan: “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess, and reveal to me what you have done. You may not conceal it.”
20 Achan replied to Joshua, 'Yes, I am the man who has sinned against Yahweh, God of Israel, and thisis what I have done.	20 And Achan responded to Joshua, and he said to him: “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and I have done one thing and another.
21 In the loot, I saw a fine robe from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and an ingot of goldweighing fifty shekels, I set my heart on them and I took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, withthe silver underneath.'	21 For I saw among the spoils a very fine scarlet cloak, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold bar of fifty shekels. And coveting these, I took and hid them in the ground near the middle of my tent, and I covered the silver with the soil that I had dug.”
22 Joshua sent messengers; they ran to the tent, and the robe was indeed hidden in the tent, with thesilver underneath.	22 Therefore, Joshua sent ministers, who, running to his tent, discovered everything hidden in the same place, together with the silver.
23 They took the things out of the tent and, bringing them to Joshua and all the Israelites, laid them outbefore Yahweh.	23 And taking these from the tent, they brought them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they cast them down before the Lord.
24 Joshua then took Achan son of Zerah and led him up to the Vale of Achor, with the silver and the robeand the ingot of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his goats, his tent and al hisbelongings. Al Israel went with him.	24 And so Joshua took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the gold bar, also his sons and daughters, the oxen and donkeys and sheep, and even the tent and all his goods, (and all of Israel went with him,) and he brought these to the valley of Achor.
25 Joshua said, 'Why have you brought misfortune on us? Today may Yahweh bring misfortune on you!'And all Israel stoned him to death (and they burned them and threw stones at them).	25 There, Joshua said: “Because you have troubled us, the Lord troubles you, on this day.” And all of Israel stoned him. And all the things that were his were consumed by fire.
26 Over him, they raised a great mound of stones, which is still there today. Yahweh then relented fromhis fierce anger. That was why the place was cal ed the Vale of Achor, as it stil is today.	26 And they gathered upon him a great pile of stones, which remains even to the present day. And the fury of the Lord was averted from them. And the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor, even to this day.