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          DASV: Joshua 7    

1 But the Israelites violated the command concerning the devoted
things, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,
the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some
of the devoted things. So the anger of the LORD was sparked
against the Israelites.

2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven,
on the east side of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out
the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 When they returned to Joshua, they suggested to him,
"Do not make all the people go up, but send about two or
three thousand men up and attack Ai. Do not wear out all
the people by making them go up there, since there are
so few of them."
4 So 3,000 men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six men, and chased
them from the town gate all the way to the stone quarries
killing them down the slope. Then the hearts of the people
melted and became like water.

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes. He and the elders of Israel
fell to the ground on their faces before the ark of the
LORD until evening, and threw dust on their heads.
7 Then Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever
bring this people over the Jordan River, just to deliver
us into the hand of the Amorites, so they could destroy us?
If only we had been content to stay on the other side
of the Jordan!
8 Oh, Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their
backs fleeing before their enemies!
9 When the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will
hear of it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the earth,
then what will you do for your own great name?"

10 Then the LORD replied to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you
down on your face?
11 Israel has sinned. They have broken my covenant that I
commanded them. They have stolen some of the devoted things,
and deceitfully put them with their personal belongings.
12 Therefore the Israelites cannot stand before their enemies.
They turn their backs fleeing before their enemies, because
they themselves have become devoted to destruction. I will
no longer be with you, unless you destroy the devoted things
from among you.
13 Get up! Consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate
yourselves tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of
Israel says, "There is a devoted thing in your midst, O Israel;
you cannot stand before your enemies, until you remove the
devoted things from among you.'"
14 In the morning you must present yourselves by your tribes.
The tribe that the LORD selects must approach by clans,
and the clan that the LORD selects must approach by families;
and the family that the LORD selects must approach man by man.
15 The one who is caught with the devoted things must be
burned with fire, he and all that he has because he has violated
the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done such a
disgraceful thing in Israel."

16 So Joshua got up early in the morning and brought forward
Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
17 He brought forward the clans of Judah, and he selected the
clan of the Zerahites. Then he brought forward the families
of the Zerahites family by family, and Zabdi was selected.
18 Then he brought forward his family man by man, and Achan,
the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah,
from the tribe of Judah, was selected.

19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD,
the God of Israel, and confess to him and tell me now what
you have done. Do not hide it from me."
20 So Achan answered Joshua, "It is true. I have sinned
against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
21 when I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe,
and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing
fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. They are
hidden in the ground inside my tent with the silver underneath."

22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent and there
it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
23 They took the things from the tent and brought them
to Joshua and to all the Israelites. They laid them
on the ground before the LORD.
24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan the son of Zerah,
along with the silver, the robe, and the bar of gold, his sons,
his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent
and all that he had and they brought them up to the Valley
of Achor.
25 Then Joshua said, "Why have you brought trouble on us?
The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel
stoned him and his family, and burned them with fire.
26 Then they piled up a great heap of stones over him that
remains there to this day. That is why the name of that
place was called, the Valley of Achor (Disaster), to this day.
So the LORD turned away from his fierce anger.

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