The Defeat at Ai 1 ULT But the sons of Israel treacherously committed a treacherous act regarding a devoted thing. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took from the devoted thing. And the nose of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
2 ULT Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which{ was} near Beth Aven, from the east of Bethel. And he spoke to them, saying,“Go up and spy on the land.” And the men went up and spied on Ai. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 ULT And they returned to Joshua and said to him,“Do not let all the people go up. About 2, 000 men or about 3, 000 men should go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people weary there, because they are few.” BSB BSB: On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”
4 ULT And about 3, 000 men from the people went up there, and they fled to the face of the men of Ai. BSB BSB: So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 ULT And the men of Ai struck down from them about 36 men. And they pursued them from the face of the gate unto the quarries, and they struck them on the slope. And the heart of the people melted and became water. BSB BSB: And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 ULT And Joshua tore his garments and fell on his face to the earth to the face of the Box of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they made dust go up onto their heads. BSB BSB: Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
7 ULT And Joshua said,“Alas, my Lord Yahweh! Why, bringing across, did you bring this people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorite, to make us perish? And if only we had been content and had stayed on the other side of the Jordan! BSB BSB: “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
8 ULT Please, my Lord! What shall I say, now that Israel has turned the back of the neck to the face of its enemies? BSB BSB: O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
9 ULT And the Canaanite and all the dwellers 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?” BSB BSB: When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
10 ULT And Yahweh said to Joshua,“Get yourself up! Why is this, you{ are} falling on your face? BSB BSB: But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 ULT Israel has sinned and indeed transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them, and has indeed taken from the devoted thing and has indeed stolen and also deceived and also placed{ it} among their things. BSB BSB: Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
12 ULT So the sons of Israel were not able to stand to the face of their enemies. They turned the back of the neck to the face of their enemies because they have become a devoted thing. I will not resume to be with you if you do not destroy the devoted thing from your midst. BSB BSB: This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
13 ULT Arise! Consecrate the people and say,‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel,“A devoted thing is in your midst, Israel. You will not be able to stand to the face of your enemies until you remove the devoted thing from your midst.” BSB BSB: Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
14 ULT And you shall be brought near in the morning by your tribes. And it will happen, the tribe that Yahweh takes shall come near by clans, and the clan that Yahweh takes shall come near by houses, and the house that Yahweh takes shall come near by men. BSB BSB: In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
15 ULT And it will happen, the one taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that{ is} to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’” BSB BSB: The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
The Sin of Achan 16 ULT And Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. BSB BSB: So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
17 ULT And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahite was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahite by men, and Zabdi was taken. BSB BSB: He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
18 ULT And he brought near his house by men, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. BSB BSB: And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19 ULT And Joshua said to Achan,“My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. And declare to me please what you have done. Do not hide{ it} from me.” BSB BSB: So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
21 ULT Now I saw among the spoil one good coat of Shinar and 200 shekels of silver and one wedge of gold, 50 shekels{ was} its weight. And I desired them and took them. And behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver{ is} under it.” BSB BSB: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 ULT And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. And behold,{ it} was hidden in his tent, and the silver{ was} under it. BSB BSB: So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23 ULT And they took them from the midst of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all of the sons of Israel. And they poured them out to the face of Yahweh. BSB BSB: They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
24 ULT And Joshua took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver and the coat and the wedge of gold and his sons and his daughters and his ox and his donkey and his flock and his tent and all that{ was} to him, and all Israel with him. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. BSB BSB: Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25 ULT And Joshua said,“Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you on this day.” And all of Israel stoned him with stone. And they burned them with fire, and they stoned them with stones. BSB BSB: “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
26 ULT And they raised up over him a great pile of stones, to this day. And Yahweh turned from the burning of his nose. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. BSB BSB: And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.