Joshua 7

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people 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 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out 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 they returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few."
4 Of the people, some three thousand marched up, but these broke before the people of Ai,	4 So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai,
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 the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them, and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as 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 Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put 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 hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8 Forgive me, Lord, but what can I say, now that Israel has turned tail on the enemy?	8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before 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 For 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; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?"
10 Yahweh said to Joshua, 'Stand up! Why are you lying prostrate like this?	10 The LORD said to Joshua, "Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face?
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; they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own stuff.
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 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become a thing for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
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 Up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted things from among 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 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes; and the tribe which the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man.
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 he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a shameful thing in Israel.'"
16 Joshua got up early; he made Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the lot indicated the tribe ofJudah.	16 So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken;
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 he brought near the families of Judah, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken;
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 he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
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 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and render praise to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."
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 answered Joshua, "Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did:
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 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath."
22 Joshua sent messengers; they ran to the tent, and the robe was indeed hidden in the tent, with thesilver underneath.	22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
23 They took the things out of the tent and, bringing them to Joshua and all the Israelites, laid them outbefore Yahweh.	23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel; and they laid 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 Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up 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 And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
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 raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.