¶ But yet the children of Israel trespassed in the excommunicate things: for Acan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zareh of the tribe of Iuda, took of the excommunicate things. And the wrath of the LORD waxed hot against the children of Israel.
Then Iosua sent men from Iericho to Ai which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying, get you up and view the country. And the men went up and spied out Ai.
And returned unto Iosua and said unto him, let not all the people go up, but let as it were a two or three thousand men go up and destroy Ai, and make not all the people to labour thither, for they are but few.
And so there went up thither about a three thousand men, which fled before the men of Ai.
And the men of Ai smote of them upon a thirty and six men, and chased them before the gates even unto Gabarim, and smote them in the going down. And the hearts of the people were discouraged and melted like water.
¶ And Iosua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, both he and the elders of Israel, and put earth upon their heads.
And Iosua said, Ah, Lord Iehouah, wherefore hast thou brought this people over Iordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us: would to God we had adventured and dwelt on the other side Iordan.
Oh Lord what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies:
Moreover the Cananites, and all the inhabiters of the land shall hear of it, and shall come about us and destroy the name of us out of the world. And then what wilt thou do unto thy mighty name?
¶ And the LORD said unto Iosua, get thee up, wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
Israel hath sinned and also transgressed mine appointment, which I commanded them, and have taken of the excommunicate things, and have stolen and hid them, and also put them unto their own stuff:
And therefore the children of Israel can not stond before their enemies. They shall turn their backs before their enemies, because they be excommunicate. Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the excommunicate from among you.
Up and sanctify the people and bid them to sanctify themselves against the morrow: for so sayeth the LORD God of Israel, the excommunication is among you Israel, and therefore ye can not stond before your enemies, until ye have put the excommunication from among you.
Tomorrow morning ye shall come by your tribes. And the tribe which the LORD shall find guilty, shall come by kindreds. And the kindred which the LORD shall find guilty, shall come by households. And the household which the LORD shall find faulty, shall come man by man.
And he that is found in the excommunication shall be burnt with fire, both he and all that pertaineth unto him, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
¶ And so Iosua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Iuda was caught.
Then he brought the kindreds of Iuda, and found the kindred of the Zarehites guilty.
And he brought the kindred of the Zarehites by householders, and Zabdi was caught. And he brought his household man by man, and Acan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zareh in the tribe of Iudah was caught.
And Iosua said unto Acan: my son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and give him praise, and shew me what thou hast done, and hide it not from me.
And Acan answered Iosua and said: of a truth I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and so and so have I done.
I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundredth sicles of silver, and a tongue of gold of fifty sicles weight: and I coveted them, and I took them. And behold they lie hid in the earth in my tent and the silver thereunder.
And then Iosua sent messengers which ran unto the tent. And behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver thereunder.
And they took them out of the midst of his tent and brought them unto Iosua and unto all the children of Israel, and poured them out before the LORD.
And Iosua took Acan the son of Zareh, and the silver, and the garment, and the tongue of gold, and his sons and his daughters, his oxen, asses, sheep, his tent and all that he had, and all Israel with him, and brought them unto the valley of Acor.
And Iosua said: Inasmuch as thou hast troubled us: the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burnt them with fire, and overwhelmed them with stones.
And they cast upon him a great heap of stones that remaineth unto this day. And so the LORD turned from his fierce wrath. Wherefore the name of the place is called the valley of Acor unto this day.
Chapter:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24]
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.