Enki Gets Angry Because of Babylonian Loot

¹ But the Israelites committed a trespass in the accursed thing.

Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing.

This made Enki angry.

² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country.

The men went up and viewed Ai.

3 They returned to Joshua, and said:

We need only around 3,000 men go up against Ai because they are just a few.

4 So they went up with around 3,000 men, but fled before the men of Ai.

5 The men of Ai killed 36 of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

6 Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of Enki until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

7 Joshua said:

Alas, O Enki, why have you let these people cross the Jordan river, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us?

We would have been content to live on the other side of the river Jordan!

8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel retreats from their enemies?

9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it,] and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt you do unto your great name? 10} And Enki said unto Joshua, Get you up; wherefore liest you thus on your face?

11 Israel had sinned. They have also transgressed my covenant. They have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put [it] even among their own stuff.

12 Therefore the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed. Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

13 Rise up. Sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith Enki God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: you cannot stand before thine enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you.

14} In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, [that] the tribe which Enki taketh shall come according to the families [thereof;]

The family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which Enki shall take shall come man by man.

15} He that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed my covenant and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

16} So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

17} He brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

18 He brought 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 taken.

19 Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray you, glory to Enki God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what you hast done; hide [it] not from me.

20 Achan replied:

Yes I have sinned against Enki. 21 I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment and 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold* of fifty shekels weight. I coveted them so I took them.

They are buried in the middle of my tent, and the silver under it.

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

23 They took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the Israelites, and laid them out before Enki.

24 Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had.

They brought them unto the valley of Achor.

25 Joshua said:

Why have you troubled us? Enki shall trouble you this day. All Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

26 They raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So Enki turned from the fierceness of his anger.

Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.