Defeat at Ai

7 The Israelites, however, were unfaithful^(A) regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

Achan Judged

¹⁶ Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. ¹⁷ He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families,^[a] and Zabdi was selected. ¹⁸ He then had Zabdi’s family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

¹⁹ So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(A) and make a confession to him.^[b] I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”

²⁰ Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.^(B) This is what I did: ²¹ When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon,^[c] five pounds^[d] of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter,^[e] I coveted them and took them.^(C) You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.” ²² So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath. ²³ They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.

²⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.^{(D) 25} Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble?^(E) Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned them^[f] to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, ²⁶ and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today.^(F) Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor^[g] still today.