¹⁶ However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.^{(A) 17} Completely destroy^[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹⁸ Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods,^(B) and you will sin^(C) against the Lord your God.

¹⁷ The city and all that is in it are to be devoted^[a](A) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute^(B) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid^(C) the spies we sent.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city^(A) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(B) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.^(C)

²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble^(A) on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.”

Then all Israel stoned him,^(B) and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.^{(C) 26} Over Achan they heaped^(D) up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.^(E) Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger.^(F) Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor^[a](G) ever since.

²⁸ So Joshua burned^(A) Ai^[a](B) and made it a permanent heap of ruins,^(C) a desolate place to this day.^(D)