Israel Defeated at Ai
1 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the tdevoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people umelted and became as water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they vput dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, wwhy have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when 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 xcut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your ygreat name?”
The Sin of Achan
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have ztransgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have ataken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and blied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel ccannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction.1 I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, d‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” 14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by elot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an foutrageous thing in Israel.’”
16 So Joshua grose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, hgive glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise2 to him. And itell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned jagainst the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from kShinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,3 then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring ltrouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel mstoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they nraised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord oturned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.4
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God rshows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who sfears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is tLord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, ubeginning from Galilee after vthe baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God wanointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was xwith him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a ytree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as zwitnesses, who aate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he bcommanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be cjudge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets dbear witness that eeveryone who fbelieves gin him hreceives forgiveness of sins ithrough his jname.”
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit kfell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the lcircumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out meven on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them nspeaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 o“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit pjust as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the qname of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
