Joshua 7

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the 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.

The Israelites broke God's rule by taking something they shouldn't have. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, was the one who did it. This made God very angry with the people of Israel.

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

Joshua, from Jericho, sent men to Ai, near Bethaven, east of Bethel. He told them, "Explore the land." So, they ventured out and surveyed Ai.

And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

They came back to Joshua, pleading, "Don't send everyone. Just send two or three thousand men to conquer Ai. Don't exhaust everyone for such a small city."

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

Around three thousand men ascended, their hearts pounding with anticipation. Yet, they turned and ran, overwhelmed by the men of Ai.

And the 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.

The warriors of Ai defeated around thirty-six of our men, pursuing them from the city gates to Shebarim. They attacked them ruthlessly. This caused immense fear among our people, leaving them feeling as helpless as water.

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

Overwhelmed with grief, Joshua tore his clothes, falling face-first to the ground before the Lord's ark. He stayed there until evening, joined by the elders of Israel, all of them covering their heads in dust.

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 the other side Jordan!

Joshua cried out in despair, "Oh Lord, why did you lead us across the Jordan, only to be crushed by the Amorites? If only we had stayed content on the other side!"

O LORD, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

My God, how can I find words when Israel shows fear and flees from their foes!

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 great name?

When the Canaanites and everyone living in the land hear about this, they'll surround us, wiping out our existence. What will then happen to your great reputation?

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

The LORD spoke to Joshua, "Rise up! Why are you lying down in despair?"

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

Israel has sinned; they have broken the sacred agreement I commanded them. They've taken what's forbidden, stolen, and lied, even hiding it among their own belongings.

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 ye destroy the accursed from among you.

The children of Israel felt overwhelmed and powerless against their foes, retreating in fear because they were cursed. I too will withdraw my presence, unless they purge the curse from within them.

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 the accursed thing from among you.

Rise up, purify your hearts, and prepare for tomorrow. For the Lord, our God, warns us, there's a curse among us, Israel. We cannot face our enemies until we remove this curse from our midst.

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

Tomorrow morning, each of your tribes will be summoned. God will choose one tribe, then a family from that tribe, then a household from that family, and finally, one individual from that household.

And it shall be, that he that is 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.

Anyone who is caught with the cursed object will be burned with fire, along with everything they own. This is because they've broken God's agreement and committed a disgraceful outrage in Israel.

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

Joshua woke up at dawn, leading the tribes of Israel. Judah's tribe was chosen.

And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

He gathered the clan of Judah, then selected the Zarhites. Among them, he singled out each man, and Zabdi was chosen.

And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

He led each member of his family forward, and there, singled out, stood Achan - Carmi's son, Zabdi's grandson, Zerah's descendant from the tribe of Judah.

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

Joshua pleaded with Achan, "My child, honor the God of Israel. Admit your actions to Him and to me. Please, don't keep secrets."

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

Achan responded to Joshua, admitting, "Yes, I have wronged the Lord God of Israel. Here's what I've done:"

When I saw among the spoils a goodly 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.

When I spotted a beautiful Babylonian robe, silver coins, and a chunk of gold among the loot, I was consumed by desire. I took them and now, they're buried in the ground, right in the center of my tent, with the silver underneath.

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

Joshua swiftly dispatched his messengers. They raced to the tent and found it concealed within, along with the silver tucked beneath it.

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

They gently removed them from the tent's heart, guiding them to Joshua and all of Israel's children. In the presence of the LORD, they respectfully presented them.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, 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 they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

With heavy hearts, Joshua and the entire nation of Israel seized Achan, Zerah's son. They took his silver, his clothes, his gold, his children, his livestock, his tent, and everything he owned. Then, they led them all to the sorrowful valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, 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.

Joshua asked, "Why have you brought such trouble on us? Today, God will bring trouble upon you." Then all of Israel stoned him to death, and when they had stoned the others too, they burned them with fire.

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

They raised a towering pile of stones over him, standing even today. Then God's intense anger subsided. Hence, they named this place the Valley of Achor, a name it still holds today.