Achan's Sin
1 The Lord's command to Israel not to take from Jericho anything that was to be destroyed was not obeyed. A man named Achan disobeyed that order, and so the Lord was furious with the Israelites. (Achan was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi, and belonged to the clan of Zerah, a part of the tribe of Judah.)
2 Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai, a city east of Bethel, near Bethaven, with orders to go and explore the land. When they had done so, 3 they reported back to Joshua: “There is no need for everyone to attack Ai. Send only about two or three thousand men. Don't send the whole army up there to fight; it is not a large city.” 4 So about three thousand Israelites made the attack, but they were forced to retreat. 5 The men of Ai chased them from the city gate as far as some quarries and killed about thirty-six of them on the way down the hill. Then the Israelites lost their courage and were afraid.
6 Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes in grief, threw themselves to the ground before the Lord's Covenant Box, and lay there till evening, with dust on their heads to show their sorrow. 7 And Joshua said, “Sovereign Lord! Why did you bring us across the Jordan at all? To turn us over to the Amorites? To destroy us? Why didn't we just stay on the other side of the Jordan? 8 What can I say, O Lord, now that Israel has retreated from the enemy? 9 The Canaanites and everyone else in the country will hear about it. They will surround us and kill every one of us! And then what will you do to protect your honor?”
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on the ground like this? 11 Israel has sinned! They have broken the agreement with me that I ordered them to keep. They have taken some of the things condemned to destruction. They stole them, lied about it, and put them with their own things. 12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They retreat from them because they themselves have now been condemned to destruction! I will not stay with you any longer unless you destroy the things you were ordered not to take! 13 Get up! Purify the people and get them ready to come before me. Tell them to be ready tomorrow, because I, the Lord God of Israel, have this to say: ‘Israel, you have in your possession some things that I ordered you to destroy! You cannot stand against your enemies until you get rid of these things!’ 14 So tell them that in the morning they will be brought forward, tribe by tribe. The tribe that I pick out will then come forward, clan by clan. The clan that I pick out will come forward, family by family. The family that I pick out will come forward, one by one. 15 The one who is then picked out and found with the condemned goods will be burned, along with his family and everything he owns, for he has brought terrible shame on Israel and has broken my covenant.”
16 Early the next morning Joshua brought Israel forward, tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was picked out. 17 He brought the tribe of Judah forward, clan by clan, and the clan of Zerah was picked out. Then he brought the clan of Zerah forward, family by family, and the family of Zabdi was picked out. 18 He then brought Zabdi's family forward, one by one, and Achan, the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi, was picked out. 19 Joshua said to him, “My son, tell the truth here before the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess. Tell me now what you have done. Don't try to hide it from me.”
20 “It's true,” Achan answered. “I have sinned against the Lord, Israel's God, and this is what I did. 21 Among the things we seized I saw a beautiful Babylonian cloak, about five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing over one pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. You will find them buried inside my tent, with the silver at the bottom.”
22 So Joshua sent some men, who ran to the tent and found that the condemned things really were buried there, with the silver at the bottom. 23 They brought them out of the tent, took them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and laid them down in the presence of the Lord. 24 Joshua, along with all the people of Israel, seized Achan, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, together with Achan's sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned; and they took them to Trouble Valley. 25 And Joshua said, “Why have you brought such trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you!” All the people then stoned Achan to death; they also stoned and burned his family and possessions. 26 They put a huge pile of stones over him, which is there to this day. That is why that place is still called Trouble Valley.
Then the Lord was no longer furious.
Āhāna grēks
1 Bet Israēla dēli noziedzās – aiztika iznīcībai nolādēto. Āhāns, Karmī dēls, Zabdī dēls, Zeraha dēls, no Jūdas cilts, ņēma no iznīcībai nolādētā, un tad Kunga dusmas iedegās pret Israēla dēliem. 2 Jozua no Jērikas sūtīja vīrus uz Aju, kas pie Bēt-Āvenas, austrumos no Bēteles, un viņiem teica: “Dodieties izlūkot to zemi!” Un vīri devās izlūkot Aju. 3 Tie atgriezās pie Jozuas un teica viņam: “Visa tauta turp lai nedodas – lai turp dodas divi trīs tūkstoši vīru un uzbrūk Ajai. Neliec turp steigt visai tautai, jo tur ir maz ļaužu.” 4 Tad kādi divi trīs tūkstoši vīru no tautas devās uz turieni, un tiem nācās no Ajas vīriem bēgt. 5 Ajas vīri nokāva trīsdesmit sešus no tiem un dzinās pakaļ līdz pat Šebarīmas vārtiem, un vēl kāva tos nogāzē. Tad ļaudīm pamira sirdis – tās kļuva kā ūdens! 6 Jozua saplēsa savas drānas un līdz pašam vakaram gulēja uz sava vaiga pie zemes Kunga derības šķirsta priekšā – viņš un Israēla vecajie – un tie kaisīja sev pīšļus uz galvas. 7 Un Jozua teica: “Ak, Kungs Dievs! Kāpēc tu šai tautai liki pāriet Jardānu – vai lai atdotu mūs amoriešu rokās, ka tie mūs izdeldē!? Kaut mēs labāk būtu palikuši dzīvot viņpus Jardānas! 8 Ak, Kungs! Ko lai es saku pēc tam, kad Israēls pagriezis muguru saviem ienaidniekiem?! 9 Tagad to uzzinās kanaānieši un visi šīs zemes iemītnieki, tie ielenks mūs un iznīdēs mūsu vārdu no zemes virsas, un ko tad tu darīsi sava varenā vārda labā?!”
10 Un Kungs teica Jozuam: “Celies! Kāpēc tu guli uz sava vaiga pie zemes? 11 Israēls ir grēkojis! Tie ir pārkāpuši manu derību, ko es tiem pavēlēju, – ņēmuši mantas, kas nodotas iznīcības lāstam, zaguši un krāpuši, nolikuši tās starp savām mantām! 12 Tādēļ Israēla dēli nevarēja stāties pretī saviem ienaidniekiem. Tiem nācās pagriezt muguru saviem ienaidniekiem, jo nu tie paši ir nolādēti iznīcībai! Es vairs nebūšu kopā ar jums, kamēr jūs neiznīcināsiet lāstam lemto, kas jūsu vidū! 13 Celies! Svētī ļaudis un saki: svētieties rītdienai, jo tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: kamēr vien pie kāda no Israēla ļaudīm ir iznīcības lāstam lemtais, tikmēr jums nepastāvēt pret savu ienaidnieku – kamēr nebūs aizvākts iznīcības lāstam lemtais! 14 Tad nu nāciet rīt pēc savām ciltīm – tā cilts, ko Kungs rādīs, lai nāk pēc savām dzimtām, un tā dzimta, ko Kungs rādīs, lai nāk pēc saviem namiem, un tas nams, ko Kungs rādīs, lai nāk pa vienam vīram! 15 Tas, kurš būs ņēmis iznīcības lāstam lemto, lai tiek sadedzināts ugunī kopā ar visu, kas tam pieder, jo tas pārkāpis Kunga derību un darījis kaunu Israēlam!”
16 Tad Jozua cēlās agri no rīta un lika Israēlam nākt pēc ciltīm, un tika norādīts uz Jūdas cilti. 17 Un viņš lika nākt Jūdas cilts dzimtām, un tika norādīta zerahiešu dzimta, un viņš lika nākt zerahiešu dzimtai pa vienam vīram, un tika norādīts Zabdī. 18 Tad viņš lika, lai viņa nams nāk pa vienam vīram, un tika norādīts Āhāns, Karmī dēls, Zabdī dēls, Zeraha dēls, no Jūdas cilts. 19 Un Jozua teica Āhānam: “Mans dēls, pagodini jel Kungu, Israēla Dievu, teic viņam pateicību un stāsti man, ko esi izdarījis, – neslēp man neko!” 20 Un Āhāns atbildēja Jozuam: “Tiešām, es esmu grēkojis pret Israēla Dievu, redzi, ko es izdarīju – 21 kad ieraudzīju mūsu laupījumā labu Šināras mēteli un divus simtus šekeļu sudraba, un zelta plāksni piecdesmit šekeļu svarā, tad es tos iekāroju un paņēmu, redzi, tie ir ierakti zemē manā teltī, sudrabs ir apakšā!”
22 Tad Jozua sūtīja vēstnešus, tie skrēja uz telti, un redzi – tas viss bija paslēpts teltī un sudrabs apakšā! 23 Viņi to paņēma no telts, aiznesa Jozuam un visiem Israēla dēliem un izlika Kunga priekšā. 24 Tad Jozua ņēma Āhānu, Zeraha dēlu, sudrabu, mēteli, zelta plāksni, viņa dēlus, viņa meitas, viņa vēršus, viņa ēzeļus, viņa sīklopus, viņa telti un visu, kas viņam bija, – tur bija klāt viss Israēls, – un tie aizveda viņu uz Āhoras ieleju. 25 Tad Jozua teica: “Kādēļ tu mums atnesi nelaimi?! Šodien Kungs nesīs nelaimi tev!” Tad viss Israēls meta viņam ar akmeņiem – tie viņus sadedzināja ugunī, tie viņus nomētāja akmeņiem! 26 Un pāri tiem uzbēra lielu akmeņu kaudzi, tā tur ir līdz šai dienai – tad Kungs novērsa savu dusmu kvēli. Tādēļ to vietu nosauca par Āhoras ieleju, un tā to sauc līdz šai dienai.
