Joshua 7:6-13

7:6 Joshua tore his clothes; ¹  he and the leaders ²  of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening ³  and threw dirt on their heads. ⁴  7:7 Joshua prayed, ⁵  “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? 7:8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated ⁶  before its enemies? 7:9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us ⁷  from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?” ⁸ 

7:10 The Lord responded ⁹  to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down? ¹⁰  7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! ¹¹  They have taken some of the riches; ¹²  they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions. ¹³  7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. ¹⁴  I will no longer be with you, ¹⁵  unless you destroy what has contaminated you. ¹⁶  7:13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, ¹⁷  O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.” ¹⁸ 

[7:6]  ¹ sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

[7:6]  ² tn Or “elders.”

[7:6]  ³ tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

[7:6]  ⁴ sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

[7:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “said.”

[7:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “turned [the] back.”

[7:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and cut off our name.”

[7:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”

[7:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[7:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”

[7:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”

[7:11]  ¹² tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”

[7:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

[7:12]  ¹⁵ tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

[7:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

[7:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”

[7:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”