Through the Bible – Day 75

₁The LORD had said that everything in Jericho belonged to him. But Achan from the Judah tribe took some of the things from Jericho for himself. And so the LORD was angry with the Israelites, because one of them had disobeyed him.

₂While Israel was still camped near Jericho, Joshua sent some spies with these instructions: “Go to the town of Ai and find out whatever you can about the region around the town.”

The spies left and went to Ai, which is east of Bethel and near Beth-Aven. ₃They went back to Joshua and reported, “You don't need to send the whole army to attack Ai—two or three thousand troops will be enough. Why bother the whole army for a town that small?”

_4-5Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.

₆Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes and put dust on their heads to show their sorrow. They lay face down on the ground in front of the sacred chest until sunset. ₇Then Joshua said:

₁₀The LORD answered:

₁₆Joshua got up early the next morning and brought each tribe to the place of worship, where the LORD showed that the Judah tribe was guilty. ₁₇Then Joshua brought the clans of Judah to the LORD, and the LORD showed that the Zerah clan was guilty. One by one he brought the leader of each family in the Zerah clan to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Zabdi's family was guilty. ₁₈Finally, Joshua brought each man in Zabdi's family to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Achan was the guilty one.

₁₉“Achan,” Joshua said, “the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true? Tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything.”

₂₀“It's true,” Achan answered. “I sinned and disobeyed the LORD God of Israel. _21-22While we were in Jericho, I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred pieces of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as fifty pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself, so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe.”

Joshua told some people to run to Achan's tent, where they found the silver, the gold, and the robe. ₂₃They brought them back and put them in front of the sacred chest, so Joshua and the rest of the Israelites could see them. ₂₄Then everyone took Achan and the things he had stolen to Trouble Valley. They also took along his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else that belonged to him.

₂₅Joshua said, “Achan, you caused us a lot of trouble. Now the LORD is paying you back with the same kind of trouble.”

The people of Israel then stoned to death Achan and his family. They made a fire and burnt the bodies, together with what Achan had stolen, and all his possessions. ₂₆They covered the remains with a big pile of rocks, which is still there. Then the LORD stopped being angry with Israel.

That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley.

_1-2The LORD told Joshua:

_3-4Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best soldiers and gave them these orders:

The thirty thousand soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack.

That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army. ₁₀Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai. ₁₁They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north. ₁₂Joshua had already sent five thousand soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack. ₁₃Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.

_14-15The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them towards the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned.

The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town. _16-17So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel.

Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army further and further away from Ai. ₁₈Finally, the LORD told Joshua, “Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!”

As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town, ₁₉the soldiers who had been hiding got up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.

_20-21When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked.

The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting. _22-24Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them.

The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there. _25-26Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's twelve thousand people was dead. ₂₇But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the LORD had told Joshua to do.

_28-29Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burnt to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.

_30-32One day, Joshua led the people of Israel to Mount Ebal, where he told some of his men, “Build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD. And use stones that have never been cut with iron tools, because that is what Moses taught in The Book of the Law.”

Joshua offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Then with the Israelites still watching, he copied parts of The Book of the Law of Moses on to stones.

_33-35Moses had said that everyone in Israel was to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where they were to be blessed. So everyone went there, including the foreigners, the leaders, officials, and judges. Half of the people stood on one side of the valley, and half on the other side, with the priests from the Levi tribe standing in the middle with the sacred chest. Then in a loud voice, Joshua read the blessings and curses from The Book of the Law of Moses.

₂₂During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.”

₂₃Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and said, “Drink it!” So they all drank some. ₂₄Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. ₂₅From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God's kingdom.” ₂₆Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

₂₇Jesus said to his disciples, “All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,

₂₉Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”

₃₀Jesus replied, “This very night before a cock crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me.”

₃₁But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don't know you!”

All the others said the same thing.

₃₂Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.”

₃₃Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and ₃₄told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

_35-36Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, don't let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”

₃₇When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can't you stay awake for just one hour? ₃₈Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”

₃₉Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. ₄₀But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.

₄₁When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ₄₂Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”