Joshua 7 · The Lantern

The Defeat at Ai

But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully with what was devoted: Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from what was devoted; and the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.

But this too must not be run over idly: that when one man sinned, wrath came upon the whole people. How does this happen? When the priests, who are set over the people, wish to seem kindly toward wrongdoers, and, fearing the tongues of sinners lest perhaps they speak ill of them, forgetful of priestly severity, are unwilling to fulfill what is written: "rebuke the sinner before…

Suppose any one should make scrutiny into all the communicants in the world, what kind of transgression is there which he would not detect? and what if he examined those in authority? Would he not find them eagerly bent upon gain? making traffic of high places? envious, malignant, vainglorious, gluttonous, and slaves to money?

You say these were the disgraceful acts of a few men and what was not done by all could not injure all. Indeed, I have said above quite often that the crime of one man was the destruction of many among the people of God, just as the people were ruined by Achan's theft, just as pestilence arose from Saul's jealousy, just as death came from the counting of the people by the holy…

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.

And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up. Let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up and strike Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for they are few.”

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

And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men of them, and pursued them from before the gate as far as the quarries, and struck them down on the descent; and the heart of the people melted and became like water.

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

And Joshua said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan — to give us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay across the Jordan!

Please, Lord — what can I say, after Israel has turned its neck before its enemies?

The Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land will hear, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

And the LORD said to Joshua: “Rise! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?

Israel has sinned. Indeed they have crossed my covenant that I commanded them; indeed they have taken from what was devoted; indeed they have stolen; indeed they have deceived; indeed they have put it among their own things.

And the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their neck before their enemies, because they have become devoted to destruction. I will not be with you again unless you destroy what is devoted from your midst.

Rise, consecrate the people, and say: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow — for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: There is a devoted thing in your midst, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you remove the devoted thing from your midst.

And you shall be brought near in the morning by your tribes. And it shall be, the tribe that the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family that the LORD takes shall come near by houses; and the house that the LORD takes shall come near man by man.

And it shall be, the one taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him — because he has crossed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrage in Israel.”

The Sin of Achan

And Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken.

And he brought near the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zerahite; and he brought near the family of the Zerahite man by man, and Zabdi was taken.

And he brought near his house man by man; and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory, please, to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him praise; and tell me, please, what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”

And Achan answered Joshua and said: “Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this and this I did:

I saw among the spoil one fine cloak of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold, fifty shekels its weight; and I coveted them, and I took them. And look — they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and look — it was hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.

And they took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and poured them out before the LORD.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the bar of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his ox, and his donkey, and his flock, and his tent, and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned him with stone; and they burned them with fire, and heaped stones over them.

And they raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day. And the LORD turned from the burning of his anger. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor, to this day.

Joshua7

The Defeat at Ai

The Sin of Achan