King James Version, Updated™

(1) But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the cursed things, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the cursed things, and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

(2) Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the country. And the men went up and spied out Ai.

(3) And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make all the people labor there, for they are few."

(4) So about 3,000 men went up there from the people, and they fled before the men of Ai.

(5) And the men of Ai killed from them about 36 men; for they chased them from before the gate to Shebarim, and killed them at the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

(6) Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.

(7) Then Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? I wish to God we would have been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

(8) O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turns their backs before their enemies!

(9) For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what will you do for your great name?"

(10) And the LORD said to Joshua, "Get yourself up; why do you lie thus on your face?

(11) Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the cursed things, and have also stolen, and deceived also, and they have put it among their own stuff.

(12) Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were cursed; neither will I be with YOU any more, except YOU destroy the cursed from among YOU.

(13) Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD God of Israel, "There is a cursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel; you can not stand before your enemies, until YOU take away the cursed thing from among YOU."

(14) In the morning therefore YOU shall be brought according to YOUR tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to the families; 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.

(15) And it shall be, that he who is taken with the cursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has; because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.

(16) So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

(17) 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.

(18) 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.

(19) Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give, I ask you, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."

(20) And Achan answered Joshua, and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:

(21) When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylon garment, and 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."

(22) So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver under it.

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

(24) Then 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 donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.

(25) And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD shall trouble you this day." And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

(26) They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, to this day.