¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(A) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction^(B) and bring trouble^(C) on it.

²⁰ When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,^[a](A) did not wrath^(B) come on the whole community^(C) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”^(D)

¹⁵ you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,^[a](A) both its people and its livestock.^{(B) 16} You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town^(C) and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God.^(D) That town is to remain a ruin^(E) forever, never to be rebuilt,