1. But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
2. Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven.
3. When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”