Joshua 7
Israel Defeated at Ai
1But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for aAchan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near bBeth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And cthey fled before the men of Ai, 5and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people dmelted and became as water.
6Then Joshua etore his clothes and ffell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put gdust on their heads. 7And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, hwhy have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and icut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
The Sin of Achan
10The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11Israel has sinned; they have jtransgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the kdevoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 lTherefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They mturn their backs before their enemies, because they have become ndevoted for destruction. ▼▼That is, set apart ( devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
I will be with you no more, unless you destroy pthe devoted things from among you. 13Get up! Consecrate the people and say, q‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” 14In the morning therefore you shall be brought near rby your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 sAnd he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has ttransgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done uan outrageous thing in Israel.’” 16So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the vZerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, wgive glory to the Lord God of Israel and xgive praise ▼
▼Or and make confession
to him. And ztell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly aaI have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, ▼▼A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” 22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the acValley of Achor. 25And Joshua said, “Why did you adbring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel aestoned him with stones. afThey burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26And they raised over him aga great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then ahthe Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. ▼
▼ Achor means trouble
Ezekiel 13:9
9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, ajnor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, aknor shall they enter the land of Israel. alAnd you shall know that I am the Lord God.Malachi 3:18
18Then once more you shall amsee the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.Matthew 24:51
51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place anthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Matthew 25:32
32Before him aowill be gathered apall the nations, and aqhe will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates arthe sheep from the goats.Matthew 25:41
41“Then he will say to those on his left, as‘Depart from me, you atcursed, into authe eternal fire prepared for avthe devil and his angels.Matthew 25:46
46And these will go away awinto eternal punishment, but the righteous axinto ayeternal life.”
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