1 A nd the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not nor be dismayed. Take all the men of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

Now the Lord said to Joshua, “ Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

2 A nd you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it.

You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 S o Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; chose thirty thousand mighty men of strength and sent them forth by night.

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 A nd he commanded them, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

He commanded them, saying, “See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

5 A nd I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as the first time, we will flee before them

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, we will flee before them.

6 T ill we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee before them.

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 T hen you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.

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 W hen you have taken the city, you shall set it afire; as the Lord commanded, you shall do. See, I have commanded you.

Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.”

9 S o Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

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 J oshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the men, and went up with the elders of Israel before the warriors to Ai.

Now Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai.

11 A nd all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of, with a ravine between them and Ai.

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 A nd he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

And he took about 5, 000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13 S o they stationed all the army—the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city—and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine.

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 W hen the king of Ai saw it, they hastily rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle before the Arabah. But he did not know of the ambush against him behind the city.

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 A nd Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten by them, and fled toward the wilderness.

Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16 S o all the people in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

17 N ot a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. Leaving the city open, they pursued Israel.

So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they left the city unguarded and pursued Israel.

18 T hen the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “ Stretch 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 T he men in the ambush arose quickly out of their place and ran when he stretched out his hand; and they entered the city and took it, and then hastened and set it afire.

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 W hen the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to the heavens, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. Then the Israelites who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

When the men of Ai turned back 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 W hen Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again and slew the men of Ai.

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 slew the men of Ai.

22 A nd the others came forth out of the city against them, so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

The others came out from the city to encounter them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; and they slew them until no one was left of those who survived or escaped.

23 B ut they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

But they took alive the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.

24 W hen Israel had finished slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field and in the wilderness into which they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the sword until they were consumed, then all the Israelites returned to Ai and smote it with the sword.

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 A nd all that fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, including all the men of Ai.

All who fell that day, both men and women, were 12, 000—all the people of Ai.

26 F or Joshua drew not back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 O nly the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua.

Israel 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 S o Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap of ruins for ever, even a desolation to this day.

So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation until this day.

29 A nd he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset, Joshua commanded and they took the body down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the city gate and raised a great heap of stones over it that is there to this day.

He 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 T hen Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal,

31 A s Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted up an iron tool; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings.

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, an 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 A nd there, in the presence of the Israelites, wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses.

He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel.

33 A nd all Israel, sojourner as well as he who was born among them, with their elders, officers, and 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 in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before that they should bless the Israelites.

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 the Lord, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount 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 A fterward, Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, all that is written in the Book of the Law.

Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

35 T here was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and little ones, and the foreigners who were living among them.

There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them.