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Na night for di camp. One man kneel down inside im tent come dig hole for di ground. Inside am e put one fine robe, one heap of silver, and one bar of gold. E smooth di sand make e flat. Nobody see. Na so e think.
Israel just see wetin nobody think say fit happen. Di walls of Jericho don fall flat, and di first city for di promised land don be dia own. But before di battle, Joshua give one clear command from God. Everything for Jericho na for Di Lord dem devote am. Di silver and gold, di bronze and iron, dem holy. Dem belong for di treasury of Di Lord, no be inside anybody pocket. Nobody suppose take anything for imself. Everybody obey. Well, almost everybody.
Di next town wey dem dey target na one small town wey dem dey call Ai. Joshua scouts come back with confidence. No send di whole army. Two or three thousand men go do am. Dem no plenty for there. So about three thousand soldiers march go up di hill. And everything scatter. Di men of Ai burst out from dia gate come pursue di Israelites go down di slope. Dem kill thirty-six Israelites. Di army wey see Jericho fall run go house, and di Bible talk say di heart of di people melt and become like water.
Joshua tear im clothes. E fall flat with im face before di ark of Di Lord and e stay there until evening, with dust for im head. Lord, why you bring us cross Jordan just for dis? Wetin go happen to your great name now? And God answer am plain. Stand up. Why you dey lie down for your face? Israel don sin. Dem don take some of di things wey dem devote to me. Dem don steal, dem don lie, and dem don hide am among dia own property. Dem no lose di battle of Ai for dat hill. Dem lose am inside one tent, di night after Jericho.
Early di next morning, Joshua gather all Israel. Tribe by tribe dem come forward. Na di tribe of Judah dem choose. Then one clan for Judah. Then one family for dat clan. Then, man by man, di household come forward, until na only one person remain standing. Achan, son of Carmi. Every eye turn look am. Joshua voice soft well well. My son, give glory to Di Lord, di God of Israel, and confess give am. Tell me wetin you do. No hide am from me.
Na true. I don sin against Di Lord. Among di things wey we collect for di war, I see one fine robe from Babylon, two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold. I want dem, and I take dem. Dem dey hide inside di ground for inside my tent, and di silver dey under.
Messengers run go di tent. Dem dig, and see everything there, just as e talk. Dem spread am before Di Lord. Notice di order of Achan words: I see, I want, I take, I hide. Na so plenty wrongdoing dey take grow. Then Joshua and all Israel carry Achan go one valley outside di camp, with di silver, di robe and di gold, with im sons and im daughters, im cows, im donkeys and im sheep, im tent and everything wey e get. For there, all Israel stone dem, burn dem with fire, and raise one big heap of stones over di place. Dis na one of di hardest page for di Bible. Wetin Achan do for secret no stay for im head alone; e fall on im whole house. Dem call am di Valley of Achor, wey mean di Valley of Trouble. Di Lord turn from im anger, and Israel fit move forward again.
Di word behind di things wey dem devote na di Hebrew word herem. E mean something wey dem set apart completely for God, wey dem comot from ordinary human use. For Jericho, Joshua chapter six talk say di precious metals must go enter di treasury of Di Lord. So wetin Achan steal no be just small thing from shop. E take wetin dem don give God. And di robe wey e desire come from Shinar, di name wey di Bible dey call Babylon, far for east. Na costly thing wey dem import, di kind thing wey person wey dey travel for desert fit never get for im life.
Achan Secret. You go find am for Joshua chapter seven. But di Valley of Trouble no be di end of di story. Many hundred years after, di prophet Hosea promise say God go make di Valley of Achor become door of hope. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey wey you don bury, wey you dey hope say nobody go see, wey you need to bring come out for light?
Something to think about
Something dey wey you don bury, wey you dey hope say nobody go see, wey you need to bring come out for light?
Read the passage
This retelling follows Joshua 7. Open your Bible and read it for yourself.
Sources for the history
- Joshua 6:17–19 — Di command say Jericho silver, gold, bronze and iron na for Di Lord, and dem go enter im treasury.
- Genesis 11:2 — Shinar as di plain of Babylon, where dem build Babel.
- Hosea 2:15 — Di promise say di Valley of Achor go become door of hope.
- Trent C. Butler, Joshua (Word Biblical Commentary 7, 1983) — Commentary on Joshua seven, di things wey dem devote and di play on di name Achor.
- The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992) — General background on di things wey dem devote (herem) and di stories of how Israel take di land.
Narrated with Yamart Voices, original AI voices. Written and reviewed by people.