Day 152 of 365

¹But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the Lord's anger burned against the children of Israel.

²Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the land." The men went up and spied out Ai.

³They returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them."

⁴So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.

⁵The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them, and they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.

⁶Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

⁷Joshua said, "Alas, Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!

⁸Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!

⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?"

¹⁰The Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you fallen on your face like that?

¹¹Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.

¹²Therefore the children of Israel can't stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

¹³Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the Lord, the God of Israel, says, "There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you."

¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which the Lord selects shall come near by families. The family which the Lord selects shall come near by households. The household which the Lord selects shall come near man by man.

¹⁵It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.'"

¹⁶So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.

¹⁷He brought near the family of Judah; and he selected the family of the Zerahites. He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was selected.

¹⁸He brought near his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

¹⁹Joshua said to Achan, "My son, please give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Do not hide it from me!"

²⁰Achan answered Joshua, and said, "I have truly sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.

²¹When I saw among the spoil a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it."

²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.

²³They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the Lord.

²⁴Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.

²⁵Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day." All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

²⁶They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called "The valley of Achor" to this day.

¹The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land.

²You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except its spoil and its livestock, you shall take for a plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it."

³So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.

⁴He commanded them, saying, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

⁵I, and all the people who are with me, will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

⁶They will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, 'They flee before us, like the first time.' So we will flee before them,

⁷and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.

⁸It shall be, when you have seized on the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the word of the Lord. Behold, I have commanded you."

⁹Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.

¹⁰Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

¹¹All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.

¹²He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

¹³So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹⁴It happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

¹⁵Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

¹⁶All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

¹⁷There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

¹⁸The Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

¹⁹The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire.

²⁰When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

²¹When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and killed the men of Ai.

²²The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

²³They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴It happened, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and struck it with the edge of the sword.

²⁵All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

²⁶For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

²⁷Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua.

²⁸So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.

²⁹He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at the sundown Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day.

³⁰Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

³¹as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the scroll of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, on which no man has touched with an iron tool." They offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.

³²He wrote there on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

³³All Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who carried the ark of the Lord's covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

³⁴Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the scroll of the Law.

³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.

¹It happened, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

²that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

³But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

⁴they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,

⁵and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

⁶They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us."

⁷The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you?"

⁸They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

⁹They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

¹⁰and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

¹¹Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us."'

¹²This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy.

¹³These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

¹⁴The men sampled their provisions, and did not ask counsel from the mouth of the Lord.

¹⁵Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶It happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

¹⁷The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

¹⁸The children of Israel did not strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.

¹⁹But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them."

²¹The princes said to them, "Let them live, so they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them."

²²Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you live among us?

²³Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."

²⁴They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

²⁵Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do."

²⁶He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

²⁷That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place which he should choose.

¹Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?

²The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying,

³"Let's break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us."

⁴He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.

⁵Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath:

⁶"Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion."

⁷I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, "You are my son. Today I have become your father.

⁸Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

⁹You shall rule them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

¹⁰Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

¹¹Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹²Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

³A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked; but those who keep the Law contend with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice; but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

⁷Whoever keeps the Law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

⁹He who turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

¹⁷A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.

¹⁸Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

¹⁹One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn't know that poverty waits for him.

²³One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.

²⁵One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.