1The sons of Israel acted unfaithfully with the devoted thing, for Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah took some of the devoted thing that belonged to the tribe of Judah; therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.2Joshua sent men from Jericho to the Ai, which lies beside Beth-aven east of Bethel, and he commanded them, saying, "Go up and spy out the land"; so the men went up and spied out the Ai.3They returned to Joshua and said to him, "Let not all the people go up; let about two thousand or three thousand men go up and strike the Ai; do not make all the people toil there, for they are few."4So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled before the men of the Ai.5The men of the Ai struck about thirty-six of them, pursued them before the gate as far as the Shebarim, and struck them on the descent; the heart of the people melted and became like water.6Joshua tore his mantle, fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD until evening—he and the elders of Israel—and they cast dust on their heads.7Joshua said, Alas, the Lord GOD, why did you bring this people across the Jordan at all, to give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? If only we had been willing to remain on the other side of the Jordan!8Please, the LORD, what shall I say after Israel has turned its back before its enemy?9The Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land will hear, turn against us, and cut off our name from the land; and what will you do for your great name?10The LORD said to Joshua, Rise; why have you fallen on your face?11Israel has sinned; they have also transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have also taken from the devoted thing, stolen, deceived, and put it among their articles.12The sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies because they have become devoted; I will no longer be with you unless you destroy the devoted thing from among you.13Rise and consecrate the people; say, Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says the LORD God of Israel: A devoted thing is in your midst, Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you remove the devoted thing from among you.14In the morning you shall present yourselves by your tribes, and the tribe that the LORD selects shall come near by families; the family that the LORD selects shall come near by houses; and the house that the LORD selects shall come near by men.15The one selected with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, together with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and has committed folly in Israel.16Joshua rose early in the morning and presented Israel by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah was selected.17He presented the family of Judah, and the family of the Zerahite was selected; then he presented the family of the Zerahite by men, and Zabdi was selected.18He presented his house by men, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.19Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory, I pray, to the LORD God of Israel and render thanksgiving to him; tell me, I pray, what you have done; do not hide it from me.20Achan answered Joshua and said, Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done.21I saw among the spoil one fine garment from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and one tongue of gold weighing fifty shekels; I coveted them and took them, and they are hidden in the land inside my tent, with the silver underneath.22Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.23They took the items from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and spread them out before the LORD.24Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the tongue of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkey, his flock, his tent, and everything that belonged to him; all Israel was with him, and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.25Joshua said, Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you this day. Then all Israel stoned him with stones, burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.26They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day, and the LORD turned from his burning anger; therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.