Hidden Sin and Covenant Deception Exposed

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 Yahweh’s ark 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 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 have 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 some 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 among 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 burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed Yahweh’s covenant, 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 plunder 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 today.” 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. 1. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors 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. 2. You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.” 3. So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night. 4. He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5. I 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. 6. They 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, 7. and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand. 8. It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to Yahweh’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.” 9. Joshua 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. 10. Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11. All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up, and came near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12. He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13. So 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 middle of the valley. 14. When the king of Ai saw it, 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 didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16. All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 17. There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel. 18. Yahweh 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. 19. The 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. 20. When 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. 21. When 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. 22. The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23. They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua. 24. When Israel had finished 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, all Israel returned to Ai, and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25. All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26. For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27. Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to Yahweh’s word which he commanded Joshua. 28. So Joshua burned Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day. 29. He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at 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. 30. Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31. as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings. 32. He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33. All Israel, their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the priests the Levites, who carried the ark of Yahweh’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 Yahweh had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34. Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them. 1. 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 2. they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. 3. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4. they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wine skins, 5. and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6. They went to Joshua at 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.” 7. The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?” 8. They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?” 9. They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt, 10. and 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. 11. Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.”’ 12. This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy. 13. These wine skins, 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.” 14. The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth. 15. Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them. 16. At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them. 17. The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18. The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes. 19. But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them. 20. We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.” 21. The 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.” 22. Joshua 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? 23. Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24. They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh 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. 25. Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.” 26. He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them. 27. That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for Yahweh’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.

1. I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. 3. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. 4. When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.” 5. The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, 6. and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, 7. but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. 8. The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” 9. I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” 10. I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11. They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” 1. A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2. Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. 3. I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4. These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth. 5. If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6. These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. 7. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8. Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9. From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10. Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11. After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12. I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13. In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly. 15. The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” 16. The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17. saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. 18. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19. God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed. 1. A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. 3. Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. 6. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days. 7. There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. 8. They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for them any more in heaven. 9. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10. I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. 12. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.” 13. When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14. Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15. The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17. The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

1. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, 2. for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. 3. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. 4. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. 5. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6. Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand. 7. When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin. 8. Let his days be few. Let another take his office. 9. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10. Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins. 11. Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. 12. Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children. 13. Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15. Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth; 16. because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them. 17. Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him. 18. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones. 19. Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him. 20. This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul. 21. But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me; 22. for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me. 23. I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust. 24. My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat. 25. I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head. 26. Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness; 27. that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it. 28. They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice. 29. Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. 30. I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude. 31. For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.