Joshua 7:6-15

International Standard Version

⁶ At this, Joshua tore his clothes, fell down to the ground on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening—he and the leaders of Israel—and they covered their heads with dust. ⁷ “Lord God,” Joshua asked, “Why have you brought this people across the Jordan River? To hand us over to the Amorites so we’ll be destroyed? Wouldn’t it have been better for us to be content to settle on the other side of the Jordan? ⁸ Lord, what am I to say, now that Israel has run^[a] away from its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of this, will surround us, and eliminate us^[b] from the earth! Then what will you do about your great reputation?”^[c]

The Lord Rebukes Joshua

¹⁰ “Get up!” the Lord replied to Joshua. “Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned. They broke my covenant that I commanded them by taking some of the things that had been turned over to destruction. They have stolen, have been deceitful, and have stored what they stole^[d] among their own belongings. ¹² The Israelis have been unable to stand before their enemies. They’re turning their backs and running from^[e] their enemies because they themselves have been turned over to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy these things that have been turned over to destruction. ¹³ So get up and sanctify the people. Tell them, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord God of Israel, says: “There are things turned over to destruction among you, Israel. You won’t be able to defeat your enemies until you remove what has been turned over to destruction. ¹⁴ Tomorrow morning you are to come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord selects^[f] is to come forward by tribes, the tribe that the Lord selects is to come forward by households, and the household that the Lord selects is to come forward one by one. ¹⁵ The one selected as having taken what has been turned over to destruction is to be incinerated, along with everything that pertains to him, because he has transgressed against the covenant of the Lord and committed an outrageous thing in Israel.”’”