Now Yahweh said to Joshua, “^aDo not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, ^bI have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 So you shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall ^atake only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. ¹Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 So Joshua rose with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “See, you are ^agoing to ambush the city from behind ¹it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will come near the city. And it will be that when they come out to meet us as at the first, ^awe will flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ So we will flee before them. 7 And you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city, for Yahweh your God will give it into your hand. 8 Then it will be that when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it ^aaccording to the word of Yahweh. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10 Now Joshua ^arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between ^aBethel and Ai, on the west side of the ¹city. 13 So they set the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. 14 Now it happened that when the king of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled ^aby the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and ^awere drawn away from the city. 17 So not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they forsook the city, leaving it open, and pursued Israel.

18 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “^aStretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 Then the men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire. 20 Then the men of Ai turned ¹back and looked, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers. 21 But Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended. So they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 ¹And the others came out from the city to meet them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, ²some on this side and some on that side; and they struck them down until ³there was ^ano one remaining for him who survived or escaped. 23 But they seized the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 Now it happened that when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them fell by the edge of the sword until they were completely destroyed, then all Israel turned back to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 ^aSo all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000—all the ¹people of Ai. 26 For Joshua ^adid not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted to destruction all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 ^aIsrael took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it ^aa heap forever, a desolation until this day. 29 ^aAnd he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave a command, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on ^aMount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, ^aan altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he ^awrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which ¹he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 ^aAnd all Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, the sojourner as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of ^bMount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had given a command at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in ^athe book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel ^awith the women and the little ones and the sojourners who were ¹going among them.

Now the LORD said to Joshua, “^aDo not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you. Arise, go up to Ai; see, ^bI have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall ^atake only its spoils and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. ¹Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 So Joshua rose up with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. 4 He commanded them, saying, “See, you are ^agoing to ambush the city from behind ¹it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us as they did the first time, ^awe will flee before them. 6 They will come out after us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us just as they did the first time.’ So we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will hand it over to you. 8 Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it ^ain accordance with the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10 Now Joshua ^agot up early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and approached, and arrived in front of the city; and they camped on the north side of Ai. And there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 Then he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between ^aBethel and Ai, on the west side of the ¹city. 13 So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley. 14 And it came about, when the king of Ai saw them, that the men of the city hurried and got up early, and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel ¹pretended to be defeated before them, and fled ^aby the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and ^awere lured away from the city. 17 So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel, ¹but they had all gone out after Israel, and they left the city ²unguarded and pursued Israel.

18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “^aReach out with the sword that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand it over to you.” So Joshua reached out with the sword that was in his hand toward the city. 19 Then the men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had reached out with his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai turned ¹back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and ¹killed the men of Ai. 22 ¹The others came out from the city to confront them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, ²some on this side and some on that side; and they ³killed them until there was not ^aone ⁴left who escaped or survived. 23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 Now when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 So ^aall who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the ¹people of Ai. 26 For Joshua ^adid not withdraw his hand with which he reached out with the sword until he had ¹utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 ^aIsrael took only the cattle and the spoils of that city as plunder for themselves, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it ^aa refuse heap forever, a desolation until this day. 29 And ^ahe hanged the king of Ai on ¹a tree until evening; but at sunset Joshua gave the command and they took his body down from ²the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and erected over it a large heap of stones that stands to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on ^aMount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ^aan altar of uncut stones on which no one had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he ^awrote there on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which ¹he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 ^aAnd all Israel with their elders, officers, and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of ^bMount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward he read all the words of the Law, the blessing and the curse, according to everything that is written in ^athe Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel ^awith the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were ¹living among them.

Now the LORD said to Joshua, “^aDo not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, ^bI have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall ^atake only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. ¹Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 So Joshua rose with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. 4 He commanded them, saying, “See, you are ^agoing to ambush the city from behind ¹it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us as at the first, ^awe will flee before them. 6 They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ So we will flee before them. 7 And you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it ^aaccording to the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10 Now Joshua ^arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between ^aBethel and Ai, on the west side of the ¹city. 13 So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley. 14 It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled ^aby the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and ^awere drawn away from the city. 17 So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they left the city ¹unguarded and pursued Israel.

18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “^aStretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 The men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai turned ¹back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and ¹slew the men of Ai. 22 ¹The others came out from the city to encounter them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, ²some on this side and some on that side; and they ³slew them until ^ano one was left ⁴of those who survived or escaped. 23 But they took alive the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.

24 Now when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them were fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 ^aAll who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000—all the ¹people of Ai. 26 For Joshua ^adid not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had ¹utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 ^aIsrael took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it ^aa heap forever, a desolation until this day. 29 ^aHe hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave command and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, in ^aMount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, ^aan altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 He ^awrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which ¹he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 ^aAll Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of ^bMount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had given command at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in ^athe book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel ^awith the women and the little ones and the strangers who were ¹living among them.

Now the LORD said to Joshua, “^aDo not fear or be dismayed (intimidated) . Take all the men of war with you and set out, go up to Ai; see, ^bI have given the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land into your hand. 2 You shall do the same to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; except that you shall ^atake only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set up an ambush for the city behind it on the west side.”

3 So Joshua set out with all the people of war to go up against Ai; then Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them out at night. 4 He commanded them, saying, “Listen closely, you are ^agoing to lie in wait and ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far away from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us for battle as they did the first time, ^awe will run away from them. 6 They will come out after us until we have lured them away from the city, because they will say, ‘They are running from us as they did before.’ So we will run from them. 7 Then you will emerge from the ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will hand it over to you. 8 When you have taken the city, you shall set it on fire; you shall do exactly ^aas the LORD commanded. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place for the ambush and stayed hidden between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people in Gilgal.

10 Now Joshua ^agot up early in the morning and assembled the people, and went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the fighting men who were with him went up and advanced and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a ravine between them and Ai. 12 And Joshua took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between ^aBethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 So they stationed the people, all the army—the main encampment that was north of the city, and their rear guard on the west side of the city—and Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14 Now when the king and the people of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, the king and all his people at the appointed time and place before the desert plain (the Arabah) . But he did not know that there was an ambush against him waiting behind the city on the west side. 15 So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them, and ran ^atoward the wilderness. 16 Then all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and ^awere lured away from the city. 17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel; so they left the city open and unguarded and they pursued Israel.

18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “^aReach out with the spear that is in your hand and point it toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua reached out with the spear in his hand and pointed it toward the city. 19 The men in ambush emerged quickly from their hiding place, and when Joshua stretched out his hand they ran and entered the city and captured it, and quickly set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city was ascending toward the sky, ¹and they had no opportunity to run this way or that way. Then the people who had been running to the wilderness turned back toward the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was ascending, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 Then the others came out of the city to confront the men of Ai as they returned, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; then Israel struck them until ^anone of them survived or escaped. 23 But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 And ^aall who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua ^adid not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 ^aIsrael took only the livestock and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it ^aa ¹rubbish heap forever, a desolation until this day. 29 ^aHe ¹hanged the body of the king of Ai on a tree leaving it there until evening; at sunset Joshua gave a command and they took the body down from the tree and dumped it at the entrance of the city gate, and piled a great heap of stones over it that stands to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on ^aMount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ^aan altar of uncut stones on which no one has wielded an iron tool; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the sons of Israel, Joshua ^awrote on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses which Moses had written. 33 ^aAll Israel, the stranger as well as the native born among them, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on either side of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD. Half of them stood in front of ^bMount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessing and curse, according to all that is written in ^athe Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including ^athe women and the children and the foreigners who were living among them.