The Defeat at Ai 1 UST { Yahweh had commanded the Israelites to show that all the things they found in Jericho belonged to him. To do that, the Israelites were to destroy them or put them in his treasury.} But there was a man from the tribe of Judah whose name was Achan. He was the son of Karmi, the grandson of Zabdi, and the great- grandson of Zerah. He disobeyed what Yahweh had commanded the Israelites. He took for himself some of the things Yahweh had said belonged only to him. Therefore, Yahweh became very angry with the Israelites. 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 UST Now Joshua told some of his men to go from the city of Jericho to the town of Ai. That town was east of the city of Bethel and near the town of Beth Aven. Joshua said to them,“Go to Ai and see what we need to do to conquer it.” So the men went and did what Joshua had instructed them to do. 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 UST When they returned, they told him,“Only a small number of people live in Ai. So just send 2, 000 or 3, 000 men to attack them. There is no need to send all of our soldiers.” 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 UST So about 3, 000 Israelite men went to attack Ai. But the men of Ai defeated the men of Israel so badly that the men of Israel ran away. BSB BSB: So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 UST The soldiers of Ai killed about 36 Israelite soldiers. They chased the rest of them from the city gate to the stone quarries. They even killed Israelite soldiers on the slopes{ that led back down to the Jordan River}. When the Israelite people saw this, they became very afraid. They no longer had the courage to fight. 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 UST Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes{ to show that they were very sad that their enemies had defeated them}. They lay down on the ground in front of the sacred chest of Yahweh, and they stayed there until evening time. They also put dirt on their heads{ to show that they were very sad about what had happened}. 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 UST Then Joshua prayed and said,“Lord Yahweh, you brought us Israelites safely across the Jordan River. So I do not understand why you are now allowing the Amorites to destroy us. I really wish that we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan River! Then we would not be in this situation. 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 UST O Lord, I do not know what to say, now that we Israelites have run away from our enemies. BSB BSB: O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
9 UST The Canaanites and all the other people who are living in this land will hear{ that the army of the city of Ai defeated us}. Then they will surround us and kill us all! Then people will no longer think that you are a great and powerful God!” 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 UST But Yahweh said to Joshua,“Stand up! Stop lying there with your face in the dirt! BSB BSB: But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 UST The people of Israel have sinned. They have disobeyed the commands that I instructed them to obey. They have taken from the things that I said they must devote to me. They have stolen and been deceptive and put what they have stolen in with their own possessions. 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 UST That is why the Israelite soldiers could not defeat the soldiers of Ai. That is why they ran away from them. And now Israelites you have become something that someone should destroy. Unless you do as I commanded you and destroy the things you took from Jericho that you were supposed to devote to me, then I will not help you anymore! 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 UST Now go and tell the people of Israel that they must prepare themselves for what will happen tomorrow. They must perform the rituals that will cause them to become acceptable to me{ again}. Tell them that I said that one of you has kept some of the things that I told you to devote to me. Tell them that I said you will not be able to defeat your enemies until you get rid of those things. 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 UST Tomorrow morning you must present yourselves before me, tribe by tribe. Then I will indicate to you which tribe{ the guilty person belongs to}. Then I will indicate to you which clan{ from that tribe the guilty person belongs to}. Then I will indicate to you which family he belongs to, and then I will indicate which man{ in that family took the things I said you must devote to me}. 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 UST Then you must{ kill and} burn{ the body of} the person who has taken some of the things that you should have given to me. You must burn him and his family and everything he owns, because he has disobeyed the agreement that I, Yahweh made with you Israelites, and because he has done a disgraceful act among the people of 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 UST Early the next morning, Joshua instructed all the Israelite people to come near{ to the sacred tent}, tribe by tribe.{ When they did that,} Yahweh indicated that a person from the tribe of Judah{ was the one who had taken the things that the Israelites should have given him}. 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 UST Then the clans of Judah presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the clan of Zerah{ was the guilty person}. Then the families of Zerah’ s clan presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the family of Zabdi{ was the guilty person}. 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 UST Then Joshua told the men from the family of Zabdi to present themselves.{ When they did that,} Yahweh indicated that Achan was the guilty man. He was the son of Carmi, the grandson of Zabdi, the great- grandson of Zerah, and the great- great- grandson of Judah. 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 UST Then Joshua said to Achan,“Young man, honor Yahweh, the God we Israelites worship, by telling the truth and confessing it before him. Now tell me what you did, and do not try to conceal 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 UST I saw among the plunder{ from Jericho} a beautiful coat from Babylon. I also saw 200 pieces of silver and a piece of gold that weighed the equivalent of 50 pieces of silver. I wanted those things very much, so I took them. I buried them in the ground under my tent. You will find them there. The silver pieces are buried under the other things.” 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 UST So Joshua sent some men{ to find the things that Achan had stolen from Yahweh}. They ran to Achan’ s tent and found all the things he had hidden there. 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 UST The men took the things Achan had stolen out of his tent and brought them to Joshua and to the Israelites. Then they spread them out on the ground in front of the sacred tent{ as evidence that Achan was guilty of stealing from the plunder, as Yahweh had said an Israelite had done}. 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 UST Then Joshua and the Israelites brought Achan son of Zerah up to a place that people later called the Valley of Achor. They brought the things he had stolen from Yahweh, and they also brought his sons and daughters and his wife and his cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats. They also brought his tent and everything else that belonged to him. 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 UST Joshua said,“You have troubled us Israelites greatly, so today Yahweh will trouble you.” Then all the people of Israel threw stones at Achan and his family until they died. Then they burned them{ and all their possessions} with fire. 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 UST They piled rocks over the ashes of their corpses, and those rocks are still there now. After that, Yahweh was no longer angry{ with the Israelites}. That is why the Israelites named that place the Valley of Achor. People still call it by that name now. 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.
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