Joshua 7:1-15

¹Forsooth the sons of Israel brake the commandment, and mis-took of the cursed thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the lineage of Judah, took something of the cursed thing; and the Lord was wroth against the sons of Israel.

²And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Ai, which is beside Bethaven, at the east coast of the city of Bethel, he said to them, Go ye up, and espy the land. Which ful filled the commandments, and espied Ai;

³and they turned again, and said to him, All the people go not up thither, but two either three thousand of men go, and do away the city; why shall all the people be travailed in vain against full few enemies?

⁴Therefore three thousand of fighters ascended or went up, which turned the backs anon, and were smitten of the men of Ai;

⁵and six and thirty men of them were slain; and the adversaries pursued them from the gate unto Shebarim; and they felled down fleeing by low places. And the heart of the people dreaded much, and it was made unsteadfast at the likeness of water.

⁶And Joshua rent his clothes, and he fell down low to the earth before the ark of the Lord, unto the eventide, as well he, as all the elder men of Israel; and they casted powder on their heads.

⁷And Joshua said, Alas! alas! Lord God, what wouldest thou lead this people over the flood Jordan, that thou shouldest betake us in the hand of Amorites, and should lose us? I would, that as we began, we had dwelled beyond Jordan.

⁸My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning the backs to his enemies?

⁹Canaanites, and all the dwellers of the land shall hear this, and they shall be gathered together, and shall compass us, and they shall do away our name from the earth; and what shalt thou do to thy great name?

¹⁰And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise thou up; why liest thou low in the earth?

¹¹Israel hath sinned, and hath broken my covenant; they have taken of the cursed thing, and they have stolen of it, and lied, and hid among their vessels.

¹²And therefore Israel may not stand before his enemies, and he shall flee them, for it is defouled with cursing; I shall no more be with you, till that ye destroy him that is guilty of this trespass.

¹³Rise thou, hallow the people, and say thou to them, Be ye hallowed against tomorrow; for the Lord God of Israel saith these things, O thou Israel! cursing is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not be able to stand before thine enemies, till he that is defouled by this trespass, be done away from thee.

¹⁴And ye shall come early, all men by your lineages; and whatever lineage the lot shall find, it shall come by his meines; and the meine shall come by houses, and the house shall come by men.

¹⁵And whoever shall be taken with this trespass, he shall be burnt with fire with all his chattel or substance, for he brake the covenant of the Lord, and did unleaveful thing in Israel.