Hidden Sin, Deceptive Peace, Grace Alone

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. Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), 2. and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia: 3. Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4. who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— 5. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6. I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; 7. and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. 8. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. 9. As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed. 10. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ. 11. But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. 12. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. 13. For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it. 14. I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, 16. to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17. nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19. But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother. 20. Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying. 21. Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22. I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, 23. but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24. And they glorified God in me. 1. Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2. I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3. But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4. This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; 5. to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you. 6. But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me, 7. but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised 8. (for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles); 9. and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision. 10. They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do. 11. But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12. For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13. And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14. But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do? 15. “We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners, 16. yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law. 17. But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18. For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. 19. For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. 20. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. 21. I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!” 1. Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified? 2. I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 3. Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? 4. Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? 5. He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 6. Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” 7. Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. 8. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” 9. So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11. Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12. The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.” 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” 14. that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15. Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it. 16. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”, which is Christ. 17. Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. 18. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. 19. Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20. Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. 22. But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24. So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26. For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. 27. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

1. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. 2. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men. 3. For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh. 4. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me! 5. You, Yahweh God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah. 6. They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city. 7. Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?” 8. But you, Yahweh, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations. 9. Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower. 10. My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph. 11. Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield. 12. For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter. 13. Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah. 14. At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city. 15. They shall wander up and down for food, and wait all night if they aren’t satisfied. 16. But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress. 17. To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.