¹ 国民尽都过了约但河，耶和华就对约书亚说：

² 你从民中要拣选十二个人，每支派一人，

³ 吩咐他们说：你们从这里，从约但河中、祭司脚站定的地方，取十二块石头带过去，放在你们今夜要住宿的地方。

⁴ 於是，约书亚将他从以色列人中所预备的那十二个人，每支派一人，都召了来。

⁵ 对他们说：你们下约但河中，过到耶和华─你们神的约柜前头，按着以色列人十二支派的数目，每人取一块石头扛在肩上。

⁶ 这些石头在你们中间可以作为证据。日後，你们的子孙问你们说：这些石头是甚麽意思？

⁷ 你们就对他们说：这是因为约但河的水在耶和华的约柜前断绝；约柜过约但河的时候，约但河的水就断绝了。这些石头要作以色列人永远的纪念。

⁸ 以色列人就照约书亚所吩咐的，按着以色列人支派的数目，从约但河中取了十二块石头，都遵耶和华所吩咐约书亚的行了。他们把石头带过去，到他们所住宿的地方，就放在那里。

⁹ 约书亚另把十二块石头立在约但河中，在抬约柜的祭司脚站立的地方；直到今日，那石头还在那里。

¹⁰ 抬约柜的祭司站在约但河中，等到耶和华晓谕约书亚吩咐百姓的事办完了，是照摩西所吩咐约书亚的一切话。於是百姓急速过去了。

¹¹ 众百姓尽都过了河，耶和华的约柜和祭司就在百姓面前过去。

¹² 流便人、迦得人、玛拿西半支派的人都照摩西所吩咐他们的，带着兵器在以色列人前头过去。

¹³ 约有四万人都准备打仗，在耶和华面前过去，到耶利哥的平原，等候上阵。

¹⁴ 当那日，耶和华使约书亚在以色列众人眼前尊大。在他平生的日子，百姓敬畏他，像从前敬畏摩西一样。

¹⁵ 耶和华晓谕约书亚说：

¹⁶ 你吩咐抬法柜的祭司从约但河里上来。

¹⁷ 约书亚就吩咐祭司说：你们从约但河里上来。

¹⁸ 抬耶和华约柜的祭司从约但河里上来，脚掌刚落旱地，约但河的水就流到原处，仍旧涨过两岸。

¹⁹ 正月初十日，百姓从约但河里上来，就在吉甲，在耶利哥的东边安营。

²⁰ 他们从约但河中取来的那十二块石头，约书亚就立在吉甲，

²¹ 对以色列人说：日後你们的子孙问他们的父亲说：这些石头是甚麽意思？

²² 你们就告诉他们说：以色列人曾走乾地过这约但河；

²³ 因为耶和华─你们的神在你们前面使约但河的水乾了，等着你们过来，就如耶和华─你们的神从前在我们前面使红海乾了，等着我们过来一样，

²⁴ 要使地上万民都知道，耶和华的手大有能力，也要使你们永远敬畏耶和华─你们的神。

¹ But 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 Yahweh's anger burned against the children of Israel.

² Joshua 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.

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

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

⁵ The 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.

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

⁷ Joshua said, "Alas, Lord Yahweh, 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!

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

⁹ For 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?"

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

¹¹ Israel 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.

¹² Therefore 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.

¹³ "Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, 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."

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

¹⁵ It 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 Yahweh, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.'"

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

¹⁷ He 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.

¹⁸ He 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.

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

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

²¹ When 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."

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

²³ They 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 Yahweh.

²⁴ Joshua, 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.

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

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