Josué 7

¹ But the children of Israel committed a trespass in theIn taking that which was commanded to be destroyed.accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

² And Joshua sent men from Jericho toThis was a city of the Amorites: for there was another so called among the Amorites, (Jer_49:3). The first Ai is called Aiah, (Isa_10:28).Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

³ And returned to Ioshua, and saide vnto him, Let not al the people go vp, but let as it were two or three thousand men go vp, and smite Ai, and make not al the people to labour thither, for they are fewe.

⁴ So there went vp thither of the people about three thousande men, and they fledde before the men of Ai.

⁵ And theGod would by this overthrow make them more earnest to search out and punish the sin committed.men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

⁶ Then Ioshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth vpon his face before the Arke of the Lord, vntill the euentide, he, and the Elders of Israel, and put dust vpon their heads.

⁷ And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on theThis infirmity of his faith shows how we are inclined by nature to distrust.other side Jordan!

⁸ Oh Lord, what shal I say, when Israel turne their backes before their enemies?

⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it], and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy greatWhen your enemies will blaspheme you and say that you were not able to defend us from them.name?

¹⁰ And the Lord said vnto Ioshua, Get thee vp: wherefore lyest thou thus vpon thy face?

¹¹ Israel hath sinned, and they haue transgressed my couenant, which I commanded them: for they haue euen taken of the excomunicate thing, and haue also stollen, and dissembled also, and haue put it euen with their owne stuffe.

¹² Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except yeThen to allow wickedness unpunished, is to refuse God willingly.destroy the accursed from among you.

¹³ Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away theMeaning, the man that took of the thing forbidden.accursed thing from among you.

¹⁴ In the morning therefore ye shall come according to your tribes, and the tribe which the Lord taketh, shal come according to the families: and the familie which the Lorde shall take, shall come by the housholds: and the houshold which the Lord shall take, shall come man by man.

¹⁵ And it shall be, [that] he that isThat is found guilty, either by lots, or by the judgment of Urim. (Num_27:21).taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

¹⁶ So Ioshua rose vp earely in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Iudah was taken.

¹⁷ And he brought the families of Iudah, and tooke the familie of the Zarhites, and he brought the familie of the Zarhites, man by man, and Zabdi was taken.

¹⁸ And he brought his houshold, man by man, and Achan ye sonne of Carmi, the sonne of Zabdi, the sonne of Zerah of the tribe of Iudah was take.

¹⁹ And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, andBy declaring truth: for God is glorified when the truth is confessed.make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide [it] not from me.

²⁰ And Achan answered Ioshua, and saide, In deede, I haue sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus, and thus haue I done.

²¹ When I saw among the spoils a goodlySuch a rich garment as the states of Babylon wore.Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they [are] hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

²² Then Ioshua sent messengers, which ran vnto the tent, and beholde, it was hid in his tent, and the siluer vnder it.

²³ Therefore they tooke them out of the tent, and brought them vnto Ioshua, and vnto all the children of Israel, and layd them before the Lord.

²⁴ And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and theSome read a plate: others, a rod, and some a tongue.wedge of gold, and hisThis judgment belonged only to God, and to whom he will reveal it. He had commanded man not to punish the child for the father's sins, (Deu_24:16).sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

²⁵ And Joshua said,He declares that this is God's judgment because he had offended, and caused others to be slain.Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

²⁶ And they cast vpon him a great heape of stones vnto this day: and so the Lord turned from his fierce wrath: therefore hee called the name of that place, The valley of Achor, vnto this day.