Joshua 7

vayyimalu vene-yisra'el ma'al bakherem vayyiqqakh akhan ben-karmi ven-zavdi ven-zerakh lematteh yehudah min-hakherem vayyikhar-af Adonai bivne yisra'el

The Israelites, however, violated the proscription: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of that which was proscribed, and GOD was incensed with the Israelites.

vayyishlakh yehoshua anashim mirikho ha'ay asher im-bet aven miqqedem levet-el vayyomer alehem lemor alu veraggelu et-ha'arets vayya'alu ha'anashim vayeraggelu et-ha'ay

Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai, which lies close to Beth-aven—east of Bethel—with orders to go up and spy out the country. So the men went up and spied out Ai.

vayyashuvu el-yehoshua vayyomeru elayw al-ya'al kol-ha'am ke'alpayim ish o kishloshet alafim ish ya'alu veyakku et-ha'ay al-teyagga-shammah et-kol-ha'am ki me'at hemmah

They returned to Joshua and reported to him, “Not all the troops need go up. Let two or three thousand men go and attack Ai; do not trouble all the troops to go up there, for [the people] there are few.”

vayya'alu min-ha'am shammah kishloshet alafim ish vayyanusu lifne anshe ha'ay

So about three thousand of the troops marched up there; but they were routed by the men of Ai.

vayyakku mehem anshe ha'ay kishloshim veshisha ish vayyirdefum lifne hasha'ar ad-hashevarim vayyakkum bammorad vayyimmas levav-ha'am vayehi lemayim

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, pursuing them outside the gate as far as Shebarim, and cutting them down along the descent. And the heart of the troops sank in utter dismay.

vayyiqra yehoshua simlotayw vayyippol al-panayw artsah lifne aron Adonai ad-ha'erev hu veziqne yisra'el vayya'alu afar al-rosham

Joshua thereupon rent his clothes. He and the elders of Israel lay until evening with their faces to the ground in front of the Ark of GOD; and they strewed earth on their heads.

vayyomer yehoshua ahah adonay Elohim lamah he'avarta ha'avir et-ha'am hazzeh et-hayyarden latet otanu beyad ha'emori leha'avidenu velu ho'alnu vanneshev be'ever hayyarden

“Ah, my Sovereign GOD!” cried Joshua. “Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!

bi adonay mah omar akhare asher hafakh yisra'el oref lifne oyevayw

O my Sovereign, what can I say after Israel has turned tail before its enemies?

veyishme'u hakkena'ani vekhol yosheve ha'arets venasabbu alenu vehikhritu et-shemenu min-ha'arets umah-tta'aseh leshimkha haggadol

When the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land hear of this, they will turn upon us and wipe out our very name from the earth. And what will You do about Your great name?”

vayyomer Adonai el-yehoshua qum lakh lammah zeh attah nofel al-panekha

But GOD answered Joshua: “Arise! Why do you lie prostrate?

khata yisra'el vegam averu et-beriti asher tsivviti otam vegam laqekhu min-hakherem vegam ganevu vegam kikhashu vegam samu vikhlehem

Israel has sinned! They have broken the covenant by which I bound them. They have taken of the proscribed and put it in their vessels; they have stolen; they have broken faith!

velo yukhlu bene yisra'el laqum lifne oyevehem oref yifnu lifne oyevehem ki hayu lekherem lo osif lihyot immakhem im-lo tashmidu hakherem miqqirbekhem

Therefore, the Israelites will not be able to hold their ground against their enemies; they will have to turn tail before their enemies, for they have become proscribed. I will not be with you anymore unless you root out from among you what is proscribed.

qum qaddesh et-ha'am ve'amarta hitqaddeshu lemakhar ki khoh amar Adonai elohe yisra'el kherem beqirbekha yisra'el lo tukhal laqum lifne oyevekha ad-hasirekhem hakherem miqqirbekhem

Go and purify the people. Order them: Purify yourselves for tomorrow. For thus says the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: Something proscribed is in your midst, O Israel, and you will not be able to stand up to your enemies until you have purged the proscribed from among you.

veniqravtem babboqer leshivtekhem vehayah hashevet asher-yilkedennu Adonai yiqrav lammishpakhot vehammishpakhah asher-yilkedennah Adonai tiqrav labbattim vehabbayit asher yilkedennu Adonai yiqrav laggevarim

Tomorrow morning you shall present yourselves by tribes. Whichever tribe GOD indicates shall come forward by clans; the clan that GOD indicates shall come forward by ancestral houses, and the ancestral house that GOD indicates shall come forward man by man.

vehayah hannilkad bakherem yissaref ba'esh oto ve'et-kol-asher-lo ki avar et-berit Adonai vekhi-asah nevalah beyisra'el

Then he who is indicated for proscription, and all that is his, shall be put to the fire, because he broke the Covenant of GOD and because he committed an outrage in Israel.”

vayyashkem yehoshua babboqer vayyaqrev et-yisra'el lishvatayw vayyillakhed shevet yehudah

Early next morning, Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes; and the tribe of Judah was indicated.

vayyaqrev et-mishpakhat yehudah vayyilkod et mishpakhat hazzarkhi vayyaqrev et-mishpakhat hazzarkhi laggevarim vayyillakhed zavdi

He then had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of Zerah was indicated. Then he had the clan of Zerah come forward by ancestral houses, and Zabdi was indicated.

vayyaqrev et-beto laggevarim vayyillakhed akhan ben-karmi ven-zavdi ben-zerakh lematteh yehudah

Finally he had his ancestral house come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was indicated.

vayyomer yehoshua el-akhan beni sim-na khavod la-Adonai elohe yisra'el veten-lo todah vehagged-na li meh asita al-tekhakhed mimmenni

Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, pay honor to the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, by making confession. Tell me what you have done; do not hold anything back from me.”

vayya'an akhan et-yehoshua vayyomar omnah anokhi khatati la-Adonai elohe yisra'el vekhazot vekhazot asiti

Achan answered Joshua, “It is true, I have sinned against the ETERNAL, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

(vrh) [va'ere] vashalal adderet shinar akhat tovah umatayim sheqalim kesef uleshon zahav ekhad khamishim sheqalim mishqalo va'ekhmedem va'eqqakhem vehinnam temunim ba'arets betokh ha'oholi vehakkesef takhteha

I saw among the spoil a fine Shinar mantle, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and I coveted them and took them. They are buried in the ground in my tent, with the silver under the mantle.”

vayyishlakh yehoshua malakhim vayyarutsu ha'ohelah vehinneh temunah be'oholo vehakkesef takhteha

Joshua sent messengers, who hurried to the tent; and there was the mantle, buried in his tent, with the silver underneath.

vayyiqqakhum mittokh ha'ohel vayevi'um el-yehoshua ve'el kol-bene yisra'el vayyatsiqum lifne Adonai

They took them from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and displayed them before GOD.

vayyiqqakh yehoshua et-akhan ben-zerakh ve'et-hakkesef ve'et-ha'adderet ve'et-leshon hazzahav ve'et-banayw ve'et-benotayw ve'et-shoro ve'et-khamoro ve'et-tsono ve'et-oholo ve'et-kol-asher-lo vekhol-yisra'el immo vayya'alu otam emeq akhor

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah—and the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold—his sons and daughters, and his ox, his donkey, and his flock, and his tent, and all his belongings, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

vayyomer yehoshua meh akhartanu yakorkha Adonai bayyom hazzeh vayyirgemu oto khol-yisra'el even vayyisrefu otam ba'esh vayyisqelu otam ba'avanim

And Joshua said, “What calamity you have brought upon us! GOD will bring calamity upon you this day.” And all Israel pelted him with stones. They put them to the fire and stoned them.

vayyaqimu alayw gal-avanim gadol ad hayyom hazzeh vayyashov Adonai mekharon appo al-ken qara shem hammaqom hahu emeq akhor ad hayyom hazzeh

They raised a huge mound of stones over him, which is still there. Then GOD’s anger subsided. That is why that place was named the Valley of Achor—as is still the case.