1   Bvt the children of Israel transgressed the commandment, & vsurped of the anathema. For Achan the sonne of Charmi, the sonne of Zabdi, the sonne of Zare of the tribe of Iuda, tooke somewhat of the anathema: and our Lord was angrie against the children of Israel.

2   And when Iosue sent from Iericho men against Hai, which is beside Bethauen, at the East side of the towne of Bethel, he said to them: Goe vp, and view the Land: who accomplishing his commandmentes, viewed Hai.

3   And returning they said to him: Let not al the people goe vp, but let two or three thousand men goe, and destroy the citie: why shal al the people be vexed in vaine against verie few enemies?

4   There went vp therfore three thousand and fighting men. Who immediatly turning their backes,

5   were strooken of the men of the citie of Hai, and there fel of them ^note six and thirtie men: and the aduersaries pursewed them from the gate as farre as Sabarim, and they stricke them flying away by the descent: and the hart of the people was much afrayd, and melted like vnto water.

6   But Iosue rent his garmentes, and fel flatte on the ground before the arke of our Lord vntil euening, as wel he as al the ancientes of Israel: and they cast dust vpon their heades,

7   and Iosue said: Alas ô Lord God, why wouldest thou bring this people ouer the riuer of Iordan, to deliuer vs into the handes of the Amorrheite, and to destroy vs, would God as we beganne, we had taried beyond Iordan.

8   My Lord God what shal I say, seeing Israel turning their backes to their enemies?

9   The Chananeites shal heare of it, and al the inhabitantes of the Land, and being gathered together in a plumpe shal compasse vs about, & shal destroy our name from the earth: and what wilt thou doe to thy greate name?

10   And our Lord said to Iosue: Arise, ^note why liest thou flatte on the ground?

11   Israel hath sinned, and transgressed my couenant: and they haue taken of the anathema, and haue stolen and lyed, and haue hid it among their vessel.

12   Neither can Israel stand before his enemies, and he shal flee them: because he is polluted with the anathema. I wil

Achan punished be no more with you, til you dispatch him, that is guiltie of this wicked fact.

13   Arise, sanctifie the people, and say to them: Be sanctified against to morrow: for thus saith our Lord God of Israel: There is anathema in the middes of thee o Israel: thou canst not stand before thyne enemies, til he be destroyed out of thee that is contaminated with this wicked fact.

14   And you shal come in the morning euerie one by your tribes: and what tribe soeuer the lore shal finde, it shal come by the kindredes therof, the kinred by the houses, and the house by the men.

15   And whosoeuer he be that shal be taken in this fact, he shal be burnt in the fyre with al his substance, because he hath transgressed the couen&abar;t of our Lord, and hath done abomination in Israel.

16   Iosue therfore rysing in the morning, made Israel to come by their tribes, and it was found the tribe of Iuda.

17   Which being presented by the families therof, it was found the familie of Zare. Presenting that also by the houses, he found it Zabdi:

18   whose house diuiding into euerie man, he found Achan the sonne of Charmi, the sonne of Zabdi: the sonne of Zare of the tribe of Iuda.

19   And Iosue said to Achan: My sonne, geue glorie to our Lord God of Israel, and confesse, and tel me what thou hast done, hide it not.

20   And Achan answered Iosue, and said to him: In deede I haue sinned to our Lord the God of Israel, and thus and thus haue I done.

21   For I saw among the spoiles a cloke of scarlet verie good, and two hundred sicles of siluer, and a golden rule of fiftie sicles: and coueting I tooke it away, and hid it in the ground against the middes of my tabernacle, and the siluer I couered with the earth digged vp.

22   Iosue therfore sent ministers: who running to his tabernacle, found al thinges hid in the same place, and the siluer withal.

23   And taking it away out of the tent, brought it to Iosue, and to al the children of Israel, and threw it before our Lord.

24   Iosue therfore taking Achan the sonne of Zare, and the siluer and the cloke, and the golden rule, his sonnes also and daughters, his oxen and asses, and sheepe, and the tabernacle it self, and al the stuffe: (and al Israel with him) they brought them to the valley of Achor:

25   where Iosue said: Because thou hast disturbed vs, our Lord disturbe thee in this day. And al Israel stoned him: and al thinges that were his, were consumed with fyre.

26   And gathered together vpon him a greate heape of stones, which

Hai destroyed remaineth vntil this present day. And the furie of our Lord was auerted from them. And the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, vntil this day.

Previous section

Next section