Joshua 7:1-16
1599 Geneva Bible
7 1 The Lord is angry with Achan. 4 They of Ai put the Israelites to flight. 6 Joshua prayeth to the Lord. 16 Joshua inquireth out him that sinned, and stoneth him and all his.
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the [a]excommunicate thing: for (A)Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took of the excommunicate thing: wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to [b]Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the East side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up, and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai,
3 And returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up, but let as it were two or three thousand men go up, and smite Ai, and make not all the people to labor thither, for they are few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the [c]men of Ai smote of them upon a thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted away like water.
6 Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord, until the eventide, he, and the Elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, and to destroy us? would God we had been content to dwell on the [d]other side Jordan.
8 Oh Lord what shall I say, when Israel turn their backs before their enemies?
9 For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall compass us, and destroy our name out of the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy mighty [e]Name?
10 ¶ And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up: wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the excommunicate thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and have put it even with their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies: but have turned their backs before their enemies, because they be execrable: neither will I be with you anymore, except ye [f]destroy the excommunicate from among you.
13 Up therefore, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an execrable thing among you, O Israel, therefore ye cannot stand against your enemies, until ye have put the [g]execrable thing from among you.
14 In the morning therefore ye shall come according to your tribes, and the tribe which the Lord taketh, shall come according to the families: and the family which the Lord shall take, shall come by the households: and the household which the Lord shall take, shall come man by man.
15 And he that is [h]taken with the excommunicate thing, shall be burnt with fire, he, and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
16 ¶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Judah was taken.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 7:1 In taking that which was commanded to be destroyed.
- Joshua 7:2 This was a city of the Amorites: for there was another so called among the Amorites, Jer. 49:3. The first Ai is called Aiath, Isa. 10:28.
- Joshua 7:5 God would by this overthrow make them more earnest to search out and punish the sin committed.
- Joshua 7:7 This infirmity of his faith showeth how we are inclined of nature to distrust.
- Joshua 7:9 When thine enemies shall blaspheme thee and say, that thou wast not able to defend us from them.
- Joshua 7:12 Then to suffer wickedness unpunished, is to refuse God willingly.
- Joshua 7:13 Meaning, the man that took of the thing forbidden.
- Joshua 7:15 That is found guilty, either by lots, or by the judgment of Urim, Num. 27:21.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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