Joshua 7 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 However, the Israelites had not been faithful regarding those things set apart for the Lord. Achan had taken some of them which made the Lord very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against the children of Israel.
2 Joshua sent men from the camp near Jericho to the town of Ai, which is near Bethaven, east of Bethel. “Go and explore the land,” he told them. So they went and explored around Ai.
2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.
3 When they returned they told Joshua, “The whole army isn't needed. Two or three thousand men is enough to go and attack Ai. Don't bother sending everyone—there's only a few of them.”
3 They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.”
4 So around three thousand men went to fight, but they were beaten by the men of Ai and they ran away.
4 So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing the Israelites from the town gate until they were defeated, killing them on their way down. At this the Israelites became afraid, losing all their courage.
5 The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.
6 Joshua ripped his clothes and fell down with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord until the evening. The elders did likewise, and he and the elders threw dust on their heads.
6 Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before Yahweh’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7 Joshua cried, “Why, oh why, Lord God, did you bring us across the Jordan River only to hand us over to the Amorites for them to destroy us? We should have been satisfied to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
7 Joshua said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!
8 Excuse me, Lord, but what can I say now that Israel has turned tail and run away from its enemies?
8 Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
9 The Canaanites and everyone living in the land will come and surround us and wipe us out so completely that even our name will be forgotten. Then what will happen to your great reputation?”
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
10 But the Lord replied to Joshua, “Stand up! What do you think you're doing lying on your face like that?
10 Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
11 Israel has sinned and has broken my agreement that I ordered them to keep. They have taken some of the things set apart for me; they have acted dishonestly; they have hidden the stolen items with their own belongings.
11 Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
12 That's why the Israelites can't stand up to their enemies. That's why they turn and run from their enemies, and have themselves become set apart for destruction. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you have removed from among you those things set apart for destruction.
12 Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13 Get up, and make sure the people are pure. Tell them, ‘Make yourselves pure in readiness for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, There are things set apart for me that are hidden among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove all of them.
13 Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
14 In the morning, you will come forward, tribe by tribe. Whichever tribe the Lord chooses will come forward clan by clan. The clan that the Lord chooses will come forward family by family. The family that the Lord chooses will come forward man by man.
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which Yahweh selects shall come near by families. The family which Yahweh selects shall come near by households. The household which Yahweh selects shall come near man by man.
15 The one who is caught with what was set apart for destruction will be burned by fire, along with all that is his, for he broke the Lord's agreement and committed a terrible act in Israel.’”
15 It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed Yahweh’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
16 Joshua got up early the next morning and called Israel forward, tribe by tribe.
16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
17 The tribe of Judah was chosen. The clans of Judah came forward and the Zerahites were chosen. The clan of Zerahites came forward, and the family of Zabdi was chosen.
17 He brought near the family of Judah, and he selected the family of the Zerahites. He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was selected.
18 The family of Zabdi came forward, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
18 He brought near 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 selected.
19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess. Tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me.”
19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”
20 “It's true!” Achan replied. “I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did.
20 Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.
21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful cloak from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I really wanted them, so I took them. They're hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver buried deeper.”
21 When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 Joshua sent men who ran over to search the tent. They found what had been hidden, with the silver buried deeper.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23 The men took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. There they spread them out before the Lord.
23 They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before Yahweh.
24 Then Joshua, with all the Israelites, took Achan, the son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, together with his sons and daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, and his tent—everything he had—and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
24 Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
25 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why did you bring so much trouble down on us? Today the Lord will bring trouble down on you.” All the Israelites stoned Achan. Then when they had stoned the rest they burned their bodies.
25 Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26 They set up a great pile of stones over him which remains to this day. The Lord was no longer angry. This is why the place was called the Valley of Achor ever since.
26 They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Achan
A man of Judah, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, who took a cloak, silver and gold devoted to destruction at Jericho, so that Israel was defeated at Ai until he was…
Cited in the guide: Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:18; Joshua 7:24
Carmi
A man of Judah, son of Zabdi, named as the father of Achan, who troubled Israel.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:18; 1 Chronicles 2:7
Zabdi
Head of the family of Zabdi in the Zerahite clan of Judah and grandfather of Achan; 'son of Zerah' in the text may mean descendant of Judah's son Zerah.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:17; Joshua 7:18
Places
Ai
Ai's identification is disputed — the traditional site of et-Tell doesn't fit the conquest period neatly, so scholars debate its location (approximate). Achan's sin and the ambush belong here.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 7:2; Joshua 8:28
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Joshua 22:20; Ecclesiastes 9:18; 1 Chronicles 2:6–7; Joshua 7:20–21; 1 Chronicles 21:7
- 2 Joshua 18:12; 1 Samuel 14:23; Hosea 4:15; 1 Samuel 13:5; Genesis 12:8
- 3 Hebrews 6:11–12; Luke 13:24; 2 Peter 1:5; Hebrews 4:11; 2 Peter 1:10
- 4 Deuteronomy 28:25; Leviticus 26:17; Isaiah 59:2; Isaiah 30:17; Deuteronomy 32:30
- 5 Joshua 2:9; Joshua 2:11; Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 1:44; Nahum 2:10
- 6 Genesis 37:29; Genesis 37:34; Numbers 14:6; Lamentations 2:10; Revelation 18:19
- 7 Hebrews 12:5; 2 Kings 3:10; Matthew 17:20; Exodus 5:22–23; Psalm 116:11
- 8 Romans 3:5–6; Ezra 9:10; Habakkuk 2:1
- 9 Exodus 32:12; Ezekiel 36:22–23; Psalm 83:4; John 12:28; Numbers 14:13
- 10 1 Samuel 16:1; Exodus 14:15; 1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Chronicles 22:16
- 11 Acts 5:1–2; Joshua 6:17–19; Hebrews 4:13; Acts 5:9; Joshua 7:20–21
- 12 Psalm 5:4–5; Isaiah 59:2; Joshua 6:18; Numbers 14:45; Judges 2:14
- 13 Lamentations 3:40–41; Joshua 3:5; Matthew 7:5; 1 Corinthians 5:11–13; Joshua 6:18
- 14 Proverbs 16:33; Joshua 7:17–18; Jonah 1:7; 1 Samuel 10:19–21; Acts 1:24–26
- 15 Genesis 34:7; Judges 20:6; 1 Samuel 14:38–39; Deuteronomy 13:15–16; Joshua 7:25–26
- 16 Psalm 119:60; Joshua 3:1; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Genesis 22:3
- 17 Numbers 26:20; Genesis 38:30; 1 Chronicles 2:4–7
- 18 Numbers 32:23; Acts 5:1–10; 1 Samuel 14:42; Jeremiah 2:26; Proverbs 13:21
- 19 1 Samuel 6:5; Jeremiah 13:16; John 9:24; Daniel 9:4; 2 Chronicles 30:22
- 20 Psalm 38:18; Numbers 22:34; Exodus 10:16; Genesis 42:21; Job 7:20
- 21 James 1:15; Psalm 119:37; Luke 12:15; 1 John 2:15–16; 2 Peter 2:15
- 24 Proverbs 15:27; 1 Timothy 6:9–10; Exodus 20:5; Joshua 7:26; Isaiah 65:10
- 25 Joshua 6:18; 1 Chronicles 2:7; Deuteronomy 17:5; Leviticus 24:14; Leviticus 20:2
- 26 Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15; Deuteronomy 13:17; 2 Samuel 18:17; Joshua 7:24
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences