¹ But the sons of Israel had committed an act of unfaithfulness in respect of what was devoted,—for Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah had taken of what was devoted, and the anger of Yahweh had kindled against the sons of Israel.

² And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai which was beside Beth-aven on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up, and spied out Ai.

³ And they returned unto Joshua and said unto him—Let not all the people go up, about two thousand men or three thousand men, can go up and smite Ai,—do not weary the whole people to go thither, for, but few, they are.

⁴ There went up thither of the people therefore, about three thousand men,—but they fled before the men of Ai.

⁵ And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men, and pursued them before the gate as far as the Shebarim, and smote them on the slope,—so that the heart of the people melted and became as water.

⁶ Then Joshua rent his clothes and fell upon his face to the earth before the ark of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel,—and they lifted up dust upon their heads.

⁷ And Joshua said—Alas! My Lord Yahweh! Wherefore hast thou, brought, this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? Would then we had been content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan!

⁸ Oh My Lord,—what shall I say, after Israel have turned their backs before their enemies?

⁹ Only let the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land hear, and they will surround us, and cut off our name out of the earth,—what then wilt thou do for thy great name?

¹⁰ And Yahweh said unto Joshua—Get thee up! wherefore is it that thou art lying upon thy face?

¹¹ Israel hath sinned, yea moreover they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them,—yea moreover they have taken of what was devoted, yea moreover they have stolen, yea moreover they have dissembled, yea moreover they have put it among their own goods.

¹² Therefore cannot the sons of Israel stand before their enemies, their back, do they turn before their enemies, because they have become devoted,—I will no more be with you, except ye destroy the devoted thing out of your midst.

¹³ Up! hallow the people, and thou shalt say, Hallow yourselves by to-morrow,—for, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel: A devoted thing, is in the midst of thee O Israel, Thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye have put away the devoted thing out of your midst.

¹⁴ Therefore shall ye be brought near in the morning by your tribes,—and it shall be that—the tribe which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, by families, and the family which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, by households, and the household which Yahweh shall seize, shall come near, man by man;

¹⁵ and it shall be, that—He that is seized with the devoted thing, shall be burned with fire, he and all that he hath,—because he hath transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because he hath wrought impiety in Israel.

¹⁶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes,—and, the tribe of Judah, was seized;

¹⁷ and he brought near the family of Judah, and, the family of the Zarhites, was seized,—and he brought near the family of the Zarhites, man by man, and, Zabdi, was seized;

¹⁸ and he brought near his household, man by man,—and, Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was seized.

¹⁹ And Joshua said unto Achan—My son give I pray thee glory unto Yahweh God of Israel and make to him confession,—and tell me I pray thee what thou hast done, do not hide it from me.

²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua and said,—Of a truth, I, have sinned against Yahweh God of Israel, and, thus and thus, have I done:

²¹ When I saw among the spoil a certain goodly mantle of Babylonia and two hundred shekels of silver and a certain wedge of gold—fifty shekels the weight thereof, then I coveted them, then I took them,—and, there they are, hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent,—and, there it was, hid in his tent, and, the silver, under it.

²³ And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them in unto Joshua, and unto all the sons of Israel,—and poured them out before Yahweh.

²⁴ And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan—son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up the valley of Achor.

²⁵ And Joshua said—Why hast thou troubled us? Yahweh, will trouble thee, this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them up with fire, and covered them with stones;

²⁶ yea they raised over him a great heap of stones [which remaineth] until this day. And Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger,—for which cause, hath the name of that place been called—The Valley of Achor, until this day.