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And it came to pass that the congregation of Israel did say: So יהוה (YHVH) is with Joshua!
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And so it was that the fame of Joshua was told throughout all the land, but Joshua did give the honor to יהוה (YHVH).
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¶ And it came to pass that some of the children of Jacob did commit a trespass unto יהוה (YHVH); for Akan, the son of Karmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah (Yehudah, YHVH be praised), took of the accursed things;
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And so it was that the anger of יהוה (YHVH) was kindled against the children of Jacob, but the children of Israel knew it not.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua did send men from Jericho unto Ay, and spoke unto them, saying: Go up and spy out the land.
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And so it was that the men went up and viewed Ay and all the land round about.
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¶ And it came to pass that the men did return unto Joshua and did say unto him: Let not all the people go up;
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But let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ay; and make not all the people to labor thither, for they are but few.
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And so it was that there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they did flee before the men of Ay.
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And the men of Ay did smite of the men about thirty and six; for they chased them from before the gate and smote them in the going down;
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And so it was that the hearts of the people of Israel did melt and did become even as water.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua rent his garments, and he did fall to the earth upon his face before the ark of the testimony of יהוה (YHVH) until the eventide,
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And he and the Elders of Israel did rent their garments and they did put dust upon their heads.
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And Joshua said: Alas, O Lord, יהוה (YHVH), why hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?
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If only we had been content to dwell on the other side of Jordan!
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O יהוה (YHVH), what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies?
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For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us, and cut our name off from the earth.
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And what wilt thou do that thy great name (HaShem) shall be seen?
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And יהוה (YHVH) did speak unto Joshua, saying: Get thee up.
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Why for thou thus upon thy face? Know ye not that Jacob hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I did instruct them;
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For they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own things;
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Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, and thus did they turn their backs but not their faces from before their enemies because they were accursed;
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Neither will I be with you anymore, except ye destroy the accursed things from among you.
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Get up! Sanctify this people, and say unto them: Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow;
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For thus saith יהוה (YHVH), Elohim of Israel: There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O congregation of Israel;
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Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
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In the morning, therefore, ye shall be brought according to your tribes; and it shall be that the tribe which יהוה (YHVH) taketh shall come according to households;
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And the household which יהוה (YHVH) shall take shall come man by man.
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And it shall be that he that is taken from amongst them should give up the accursed thing that it shall be burnt with fire;
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And if he turneth it not out willingly and repenteth not of this thing, then יהוה (YHVH) shall burn him up, and all that he hath,
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And this because he hath transgressed the covenant of יהוה (YHVH) and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua did rise up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken.
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And so it was that Joshua did bring the tribe of Judah, and he took the family of the Zerachites;
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And he brought the family of the Zerachites man by man; and Zabdi was taken.
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And it came to pass that Joshua did bring out his household man by man; and Akan, the son of Karmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua said unto Akan: My son, give, I pray thee, glory to יהוה (YHVH), the Elohim of Israel, and make a confession, and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
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And so it was that Akan did answer Joshua, saying: Indeed, I have sinned against יהוה (YHVH), the Elohim of Israel, and hereby, this is the deed which I have done:
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When I saw among the spoils a goodly sheepskin, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them;
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And behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua did send messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it, even as he had said.
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And the spies did take them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before יהוה (YHVH).
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And it came to pass that Joshua and all Israel with him took Akan, the son of Zerach, and the silver, and the sheepskin, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them unto the valley outside of the encampment.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua did speak unto them, saying: Why hast thou troubled us?
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And Akan, because he did repent, and that he did confess his sins even before all of the congregation of Israel, a fire of sacrifice was lit, and a burn offering was made;
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And so it was that Akan and his family were made to dwell outside the camp for seven days to purify them, and thus were their sins forgiven them.
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And it came to pass that the sheepskin, and two hundred shekels of silver, and the wedge of gold of fifty shekels were burned up, for they were acurssed.
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And so it was that יהוה (YHVH) did turn away from his fierce anger, wherefore, the name of that place was called the valley of Akor (disturbance).
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¶ And it came to pass that יהוה (YHVH) did speak unto Joshua, saying:
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Fear not; neither be thou dismayed; take thou all the people of war with thee and arise;
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Yea, go up to Ay and see, for I have given into thy hand the king of Ay, and his people, and his city, and his land.
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And thou shalt do to Ay and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king;
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Only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves; lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.