Joshua 7:12

12 The People of Israel can no longer look their enemies in the eye - they themselves are plunder. I can't continue with you if you don't rid yourselves of the cursed things.

Joshua 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 7:12

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies
Being forsaken of God for the sin committed among them:

[but] turned [their] backs before their enemies:
had not courage to face them, but fled as soon as they appeared:

because they were accursed;
of God for the accursed thing that had been taken, as was threatened would be their case, should they take any of it; ( Joshua 6:18 ) ;

neither will I be with you any more, until ye take away the accursed
thing from among you;
that is, until they had put to death the person who had taken of the accursed thing, and made himself thereby accursed, and even all the camp of Israel; till this was done, the Lord would not be with them to protect and defend them, and give them success against their enemies.

Joshua 7:12 In-Context

10 God said to Joshua, "Get up. Why are you groveling?
11 Israel has sinned: They've broken the covenant I commanded them; they've taken forbidden plunder - stolen and then covered up the theft, squirreling it away with their own stuff.
12 The People of Israel can no longer look their enemies in the eye - they themselves are plunder. I can't continue with you if you don't rid yourselves of the cursed things.
13 "So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what God, the God of Israel, says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won't be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things.
14 "First thing in the morning you will be called up by tribes. The tribe God names will come up clan by clan; the clan God names will come up family by family; and the family God names will come up man by man.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.