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Joshua 7
New English Translation

Achan Sins and is Punished

7 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches.[a] Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,[b] son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches.[c] The Lord was furious with the Israelites.[d]

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai. 3 They returned and reported to Joshua,[e] “Don’t send the whole army.[f] About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai.[g] Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”[h]

4 So about 3,000 men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures[i] and defeated them on the steep slope.[j] The people’s[k] courage melted away like water.[l]

6 Joshua tore his clothes;[m] he and the leaders[n] of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening[o] and threw dirt on their heads.[p] 7 Joshua prayed,[q] “O, Sovereign Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated[r] before its enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us[s] from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”[t]

10 The Lord responded[u] to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?[v] 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment![w] They have taken some of the riches;[x] they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.[y] 12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.[z] I will no longer be with you,[aa] unless you destroy what has contaminated you.[ab] 13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, “You are contaminated,[ac] O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”[ad] 14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order.[ae] The tribe the Lord selects[af] must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families.[ag] The family the Lord selects must approach man by man.[ah] 15 The one caught with the riches[ai] must be burned up[aj] along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order,[ak] and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He then made the clans of Judah approach, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach, and Zabdi[al] was selected.[am] 18 He then made Zabdi’s[an] family approach man by man[ao] and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor[ap] the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me.” 20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:[aq] 21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon,[ar] 200 silver pieces,[as] and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath.[at] 23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed[au] it before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, oxen, donkeys, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.[av] 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on[aw] us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.)[ax] 26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day[ay]) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  2. Joshua 7:1 tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also Josh 7:17, 18).
  3. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  4. Joshua 7:1 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”sn This incident illustrates well the principle of corporate solidarity and corporate guilt. The sin of one man brought the Lord’s anger down upon the entire nation.
  5. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.”
  6. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.”
  7. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.”
  8. Joshua 7:3 tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”
  9. Joshua 7:5 tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shevarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).
  10. Joshua 7:5 sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.
  11. Joshua 7:5 tn Or “army’s.”
  12. Joshua 7:5 tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”
  13. Joshua 7:6 sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).
  14. Joshua 7:6 tn Or “elders.”
  15. Joshua 7:6 tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”
  16. Joshua 7:6 sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).
  17. Joshua 7:7 tn Heb “said.”
  18. Joshua 7:8 tn Heb “turned [the] back.”
  19. Joshua 7:9 tn Heb “and cut off our name.”
  20. Joshua 7:9 tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”
  21. Joshua 7:10 tn Heb “said.”
  22. Joshua 7:10 tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”
  23. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”
  24. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  25. Joshua 7:11 tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”
  26. Joshua 7:12 tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”
  27. Joshua 7:12 tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.
  28. Joshua 7:12 tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”
  29. Joshua 7:13 tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”
  30. Joshua 7:13 tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”
  31. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “by your tribes.”
  32. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “takes forcefully, seizes.”
  33. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “houses.”
  34. Joshua 7:14 tn Heb “by men.”
  35. Joshua 7:15 tn Heb “with what was set apart [to the Lord].”
  36. Joshua 7:15 tn Heb “burned with fire.”
  37. Joshua 7:16 tn Heb “by tribes.”
  38. Joshua 7:17 tn See the note on “Zabdi” in Jos 7:1.
  39. Joshua 7:17 tn Heb “and he selected Zabdi.” The Lord is the apparent subject. The LXX supports reading a passive (Niphal) form here, as does the immediate context.
  40. Joshua 7:18 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Zabdi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Joshua 7:18 tn Heb “by men.”
  42. Joshua 7:19 tn Heb “give glory to.”
  43. Joshua 7:20 tn Heb “like this and like this I did.”
  44. Joshua 7:21 tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).
  45. Joshua 7:21 tn Heb “shekels.”
  46. Joshua 7:22 tn Heb “Look, [it was] hidden in his tent, and the silver was beneath it.”
  47. Joshua 7:23 tn Heb “poured out,” probably referring to the way the silver pieces poured out of their container.
  48. Joshua 7:24 tn Or “Trouble” The name is “Achor” in Hebrew, which means “disaster” or “trouble” (also in v. 26).
  49. Joshua 7:25 tn Or “trouble on.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).
  50. Joshua 7:25 tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition.
  51. Joshua 7:26 tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.
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Josué 7
Segond 21

Faute et punition d'Acan

7 Les Israélites commirent un acte d’infidélité au sujet des biens voués à la destruction: Acan, fils de Carmi, petit-fils de Zabdi et descendant de Zérach, de la tribu de Juda, prit des biens ainsi consacrés, et la colère de l'Eternel s'enflamma contre les Israélites.

2 De Jéricho, Josué envoya des hommes vers Aï, qui est située près de Beth-Aven, à l'est de Béthel. Il leur dit: «Montez explorer le pays.» Ces hommes montèrent explorer Aï. 3 De retour vers Josué, ils lui dirent: «Il est inutile de faire monter tout le peuple à l’attaque: 2000 ou 3000 hommes suffiront pour battre Aï. Ne donne pas cette fatigue à tout le peuple, car eux sont en petit nombre.» 4 Ainsi, 3000 hommes environ se mirent en marche, mais ils prirent la fuite devant les habitants d'Aï. 5 Les habitants d'Aï leur tuèrent environ 36 hommes. Ils les poursuivirent depuis la porte de la ville jusqu'à Shebarim et les battirent à la descente. Le peuple perdit courage, il se liquéfia.

6 Josué déchira ses vêtements et se prosterna jusqu'au soir, le visage contre terre, devant l'arche de l'Eternel. Il était avec les anciens d'Israël, et ils se couvrirent la tête de poussière. 7 Josué dit: «Ah! Seigneur Eternel, pourquoi as-tu fait passer le Jourdain à ce peuple? Est-ce pour nous livrer entre les mains des Amoréens et nous faire mourir? Si seulement nous avions su rester de l'autre côté du Jourdain! 8 De grâce, Seigneur, que dirai-je maintenant qu'Israël a pris la fuite devant ses ennemis? 9 Les Cananéens et tous les habitants du pays l'apprendront. Ils nous encercleront et feront disparaître notre nom de la terre. Et que feras-tu pour ton grand nom?»

10 L'Eternel dit à Josué: «Lève-toi! Pourquoi restes-tu ainsi prosterné? 11 Israël a péché. Ils ont violé mon alliance, celle que je leur ai prescrite; ils ont pris des biens voués à la destruction, ils les ont volés et ont menti, et ils les ont cachés parmi leurs affaires. 12 Ainsi, les Israélites ne peuvent plus résister à leurs ennemis. Ils prendront la fuite devant eux, car ils sont sous une menace de destruction. Je ne serai plus avec vous si vous n’éliminez pas l’objet voué à la destruction du milieu de vous. 13 Lève-toi, consacre le peuple. Tu ordonneras: ‘Consacrez-vous pour demain, car voici ce que dit l'Eternel, le Dieu d'Israël: Il y a un objet voué à la destruction au milieu de toi, Israël. Tu ne pourras plus résister à tes ennemis, jusqu'à ce que vous l’ayez enlevé du milieu de vous.’ 14 Vous vous approcherez le matin par tribus et la tribu que désignera l'Eternel s'approchera clan par clan, le clan que désignera l'Eternel s'approchera famille par famille, puis la famille que désignera l'Eternel s'approchera homme par homme. 15 Celui qui sera désigné comme ayant pris des biens voués à la destruction sera brûlé au feu, lui et tout ce qui lui appartient, pour avoir violé l'alliance de l'Eternel et commis un acte odieux en Israël.»

16 Josué se leva de bon matin. Il fit approcher Israël par tribus et la tribu de Juda fut désignée. 17 Il fit approcher les clans de Juda et le clan de Zérach fut désigné. Il fit approcher le clan de Zérach famille par famille et Zabdi fut désigné. 18 Il fit approcher la famille de Zabdi homme par homme et Acan, fils de Carmi, petit-fils de Zabdi et descendant de Zérach, de la tribu de Juda, fut désigné.

19 Josué dit à Acan: «Mon fils, donne gloire à l'Eternel, le Dieu d'Israël, et rends-lui hommage. Dis-moi donc ce que tu as fait, ne me le cache pas.» 20 Acan répondit à Josué: «Il est vrai que j'ai péché contre l'Eternel, le Dieu d'Israël, et voici ce que j'ai fait. 21 J'ai vu dans le butin un beau manteau de Shinear, 200 pièces d'argent et un lingot d'or de près de 600 grammes. J’en ai eu envie et je les ai pris. Ils sont cachés dans la terre dans ma tente et l'argent est dessous.» 22 Josué envoya des hommes qui coururent à la tente: les objets étaient bien cachés dans la tente d'Acan et l'argent était bien dessous. 23 Ils les prirent dans la tente, les apportèrent à Josué et à tous les Israélites et les déposèrent devant l'Eternel.

24 Josué et tout Israël avec lui prirent Acan, fils de Zérach, l'argent, le manteau, le lingot d'or, les fils et les filles d'Acan, ses bœufs, ses ânes, ses brebis, sa tente et tout ce qui lui appartenait. Ils les firent monter dans la vallée d'Acor. 25 Josué dit: «Pourquoi as-tu causé notre malheur? L'Eternel causera ton malheur aujourd'hui.» Et tout Israël lapida Acan. On les brûla au feu, on les lapida 26 et l'on éleva sur Acan un grand tas de pierres qui subsiste encore aujourd'hui. L'Eternel renonça alors à son ardente colère. C'est à cause de cet événement qu'on a appelé jusqu'à aujourd’hui cet endroit vallée d'Acor[a].

Footnotes

  1. Josué 7:26 Acor: mot qui, en hébreu, fait assonance avec causer le malheur (verset 25).
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Joshua 7
New King James Version

Defeat at Ai

7 But the children of Israel [a]committed a (A)trespass regarding the (B)accursed[b] things, for (C)Achan the son of Carmi, the son of [c]Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

2 Now 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 country.” So 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 weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, (D)but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore (E)the[d] hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6 Then Joshua (F)tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they (G)put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord [e]God, (H)why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its [f]back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and (I)cut off our name from the earth. Then (J)what will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

10 So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. (K)For they have even taken some of the [g]accursed things, and have both stolen and (L)deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 (M)Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because (N)they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Get up, (O)sanctify[h] the people, and say, (P)‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed 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 (Q)the Lord takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come man by man. 15 (R)Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has (S)transgressed[i] the covenant of the Lord, and because he (T)has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the clan 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 Then 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, (U)was taken.

19 Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, (V)give glory to the Lord God of Israel, (W)and make confession to Him, and (X)tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed (Y)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 Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I [j]coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, 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, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and (Z)all that he had, and they brought them to (AA)the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, (AB)“Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” (AC)So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.

26 Then they (AD)raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So (AE)the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called (AF)the Valley of [k]Achor to this day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 7:1 acted unfaithfully
  2. Joshua 7:1 devoted
  3. Joshua 7:1 Zimri, 1 Chr. 2:6
  4. Joshua 7:5 the people’s courage failed
  5. Joshua 7:7 Heb. YHWH, Lord
  6. Joshua 7:8 Lit. neck
  7. Joshua 7:11 devoted
  8. Joshua 7:13 set apart
  9. Joshua 7:15 overstepped
  10. Joshua 7:21 desired
  11. Joshua 7:26 Lit. Trouble
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Segond 21 (SG21)

Version Segond 21 Copyright © 2007 Société Biblique de Genève by Société Biblique de Genève

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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