1 Os israelitas cometeram uma infidelidade a respeito do interdito. Acã, filho de Carmi, filho de Zabdi, filho de Zara, da tribo de Judá, reteve para si algumas coisas condenadas, e a cólera do Senhor inflamou-se contra os israelitas.2 Josué enviou de Jericó homens a Hai, situada junto de Bet-Aven, ao oriente de Betel: Subi, disse-lhes ele, e explorai a terra. Eles subiram e exploraram Hai.3 Voltando para junto de Josué, disseram-lhe: É inútil o povo todo subir, mas vão só dois ou três mil homens e apoderem-se da cidade. Não se fatigue todo o povo, porque a população da cidade é muito reduzida.4 Três mil homens aproximadamente se puseram a caminho, mas foram batidos pela gente de Hai,5 caindo mortos trinta e seis homens; os inimigos perseguiram-nos desde a porta da cidade até Sabarim, ainda quando fugiam pela encosta. O povo ficou consternado com isso e perdeu toda a coragem.6 Josué rasgou suas vestes e prostrou-se com a face por terra até a tarde diante da arca do Senhor, tanto ele como os anciãos de Israel, e cobriram de pó as suas cabeças.7 Ah, Senhor Javé, clamou Josué, por que fizestes este povo passar o Jordão, para nos entregardes nas mãos dos amorreus que nos destruirão? Oxalá tivéssemos ficado do outro lado do rio!8 Que direi eu, Senhor, vendo Israel voltar as costas aos seus inimigos?9 Os cananeus e todos os habitantes da terra vão sabê-lo, e nos cercarão e farão desaparecer o nosso nome da face da terra. E que fareis vós ao vosso grande nome?10 Então o Senhor disse a Josué: Levanta-te. Por que estás assim prostrado com a face por terra?11 Israel pecou, a ponto de violar a aliança que eu lhe tinha prescrito, e a ponto de tomar as coisas votadas ao interdito, roubá-las, ocultá-las, escondê-las entre as bagagens.12 Eis por que os israelitas não puderam resistir aos seus inimigos, mas voltaram-lhes as costas, pois caíram sob o interdito. Se não tirardes o interdito do meio de vós, não estarei mais convosco de ora em diante.13 Vai santificar o povo; dize-lhe: purificai-vos para amanhã, porque eis o que diz o Senhor, Deus de Israel: o interdito está no meio de ti, Israel. Não poderás resistir aos teus inimigos, enquanto não tiveres tirado o interdito que está no meio de vós.14 Vireis amanhã, tribo por tribo; a tribo que for designada pelo Senhor apresentar-se-á família por família; e a família marcada se apresentará por suas casas; e a casa indicada pelo Senhor se apresentará por pessoas.15 Aquele que for designado como possuidor do interdito será queimado, ele e tudo o que lhe pertence, porque violou o pacto do Senhor e cometeu uma infâmia em Israel.16 No dia seguinte pela manhã, Josué mandou vir o povo, tribo por tribo, e a sorte caiu sobre a tribo de Judá.17 Em seguida, aproximando-se as famílias de Judá, a sorte indicou a família de Zara. Mandou que se aproximasse a família de Zara por casas, e a sorte caiu sobre a de Zabdi,18 a qual se apresentou por pessoas; a sorte caiu sobre Acã, filho de Carmi, filho de Zabdi, filho de Zara, da tribo de Judá.19 Josué disse-lhe: Meu filho, dá glória e homenagem ao Senhor, Deus de Israel; confessa-me o que fizeste, sem nada ocultar.20 Acã respondeu a Josué: Sim, fui eu que pequei contra o Senhor, Deus de Israel. Eis o que fiz:21 vi no meio dos despojos um belo manto de Senaar, duzentos siclos de prata e uma barra de ouro de cinqüenta siclos e, cobiçando, tomei-os. Tudo isso se acha escondido na terra no meio de minha tenda e a prata debaixo {do manto}.22 Josué mandou alguns homens que investigassem a tenda, e estes viram que os objetos estavam lá ocultos, e a prata debaixo.23 Tomaram-nos e trouxeram-nos a Josué e a todos os israelitas e puseram-nos diante do Senhor.24 Então Josué, em presença de todo o Israel, pegando em Acã, filho de Zara, com a prata, o manto, a barra de ouro, os filhos e as filhas de Acã, seus bois, seus jumentos, suas ovelhas, sua tenda e tudo o que lhe pertencia, levou-os ao vale de Acor.25 Chegando ali, Josué disse: Por que nos confundiste? O Senhor te confunda hoje! Todos os israelitas o apedrejaram. E foram queimados no fogo depois de terem sido apedrejados.26 E juntaram sobre Acã um grande monte de pedras, o qual subsiste ainda hoje. Com isso aplacou-se o furor do Senhor. É por esse motivo que o lugar traz ainda agora o nome de vale de Acor.

1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass on the devoted things; for ‘Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted things: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to ‘Ai, which is beside Beth–aven, on the east side of Beth–el, and said unto them, thus, Go up and spy out the country. And the men went up and spied out ‘Ai.3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite ‘Ai: do not fatigue all the people to go thither; for they are but few.4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of ‘Ai.5 And the men of ‘Ai smote of them about thirty and six men; and they chased them from before the gate unto the stone–quarries, and smote them on the declivity of the hill; wherefore the heart of the people melted, and became as water.6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he with the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their head.7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Eternal, wherefore hast thou caused this people to pass over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Emorites, to destroy us? and oh! that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!8 I pray thee, O Lord, what shall I say, since Israel have turned their back before their enemies!9 And when the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, they will environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face.11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I have commanded them; and they have also taken of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and have also dissembled, and they have also put it into their own vessels.12 Therefore will the children of Israel not be able to stand up before their enemies; their back will they turn before their enemies, because they have become accursed: I will not be any more with you, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.13 Rise up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; for thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, An accursed thing is in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou shalt not be able to stand up before thy enemies, until ye have removed the accursed from among you.14 And ye shall be brought near in the morning according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord will seize shall come near according to its families; and the family which the Lord will seize shall come near by households; and the household which the Lord shall seize will come near by its men.15 And it shall be, that he that is seized with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he, and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought wickedness in Israel.16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was seized;17 And he brought near the family of Judah, and he seized the family of the Zarchites; and he brought near the family of the Zarchites by its men, and Zabdi was seized;18 And he brought near his household by its men, and ‘Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Judah, was seized.19 And Joshua said unto ‘Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me, I pray thee, what thou hast done: hide nothing from me.20 And ‘Achan answered Joshua, and said, Truly! I have indeed sinned against the Lord the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:21 I saw among the spoil a handsome Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels in weight, and I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver beneath the same.22 Joshua thereupon sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver beneath it.23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and they laid them out before the Lord.24 And Joshua took ‘Achan the son of Zerach, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his ox, and his ass, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and all Israel were with him, and they brought them up unto the valley of ‘Achor.25 And Joshua said, How hast thou troubled us! so shall the Lord trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burnt them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones which is unto this day; and the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of ‘Achor, unto this day.