Joshua 7

¹ Israel no obey the command wey God give them say make dem no take anything wey dem suppose destroy commot from Jericho. A man wey dem dey call Achan no obey that order, naso God vex with Israelites. (Achan na son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi, and e be part of Zerah clan, wey be part of Judah tribe.)

² Joshua send some men from Jericho go Ai, a city wey dey east of Bethel, Bethaven, with order to go check the land. When dem don do am finish,

³ Dem report back to Joshua: “All of us no need to attack Ai. Just send like two or three thousand men. No send all the army go fight for there; no be big city.”

⁴ Naso about 3,000 Israelites go attack the place, but dem chase them back.

⁵ Men of Ai chase them from the city gate take reach quarry and dem kill 36 of them as dem dey go down the hill. The Israelites con lose courage and dem begin dey fear.

⁶ Joshua and the leaders of Israel tear their clothes, and dem fall down for front of God Covenant Box, and dem lie down there till evening, with dust on their head to show say dem dey sad.

⁷ Joshua con say, “Almighty God! Why you even make us cross Jordan sef? So that you fit allow Amorites capture us? To destroy us? Why we no even stay for the other side of Jordan?

⁸ Wetin I fit talk, O Lord, now wey Israelites don run from the enemy?

⁹ The Canaanites and other people in the country go hear about am. Dem go surround us and kill all of us! And then wetin you go do to protect your honor?”

¹⁰ God con tell Joshua say, “Get up! Why you dey lie down for ground like this?

¹¹ Israel don sin! Dem don break the agreement wey I order them to keep. Dem don take some of the things wey I order them to destroy. Dem thief them, lie about am, and put them with their own things.

¹² Na why Israelites no fit stand against their enemies be this. Dem run from their enemies because dem don dey under curse wey go destroy them! I no go stay with una again unless una destroy the things wey I tell una say make una no take!

¹³ Get up! Purify the people make dem ready to come meet me. Tell them make dem ready tomorrow, because I, the LORD God of Israel, wan tell them this: ‘Israel, some things wey I order una to destroy dey with una! Una no fit defeat una enemies until una destroy these things!’

¹⁴ So, tell dem say dem go come forward tribe by tribe for morning. The tribe wey I pick out go come forward, clan by clan. The clan wey I pick out go come forward, family by family. The family wey I pick out go come forward, one by one.

¹⁵ The one wey I pick out and find goods wey I don condemn, una go burn am, with him family and everything wey he get, because he don bring terrible sin and he don break my covenant.”

¹⁶ Early next morning, Joshua bring Israel come front, tribe by tribe, and na Judah tribe God pick out.

¹⁷ He bring Judah tribe come front, clan by clan, and na Zerah clan God pick out. Then he bring Zerah clan come front, family by family, and na Zabdi family God pick out.

¹⁸ Naso he bring Zabdi family come front, one by one, and na Achan, son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi God pick out.

¹⁹ Joshua tell him say, “My son, tell the truth for here before the LORD, God of Israel, and confess. Tell me wetin you don do now. no try hide am from me.”

²⁰ Achan answer say, “Na true, I don sin against the LORD, God of Israel, and na wetin I do be this.

²¹ From the things wey we seize, I see one beautiful Babylonia robe, like 2 kilogram of silver, and a bar of gold wey be like a half kilogram. Naso I take them because my eye don dey on them. You go find them where I bury them, na the silver dey the bottom.”

²² Naso Joshua send some men, dem run go the tent and dem see say the things dey there, na the silver he bury for bottom.

²³ Dem bring them come out of the tent, take them to Joshua and Israelites, and dem put them down for God presence.

²⁴ Joshua with all people of Israel, take Achan, the silver, robe, and the gold bar, together with Achan sons and daughters, him cattle, donkeys, and sheep, him tent, and every other thing wey he get; and dem take them go Trouble Valley.

²⁵ Joshua con say, “Why you bring this kind trouble on top us? God go bring trouble on you!” Naso all the people stone Achan to death; dem also stone and burn him family and everything wey he get.

²⁶ Dem put a big pile of stone on top him, wey still dey there till this day. Na why dem dey call that place Trouble Valley be that. Then, God stop to dey vex with them.