1 A nd Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed. Take with thee all the people of war, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.

And 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.

2 A nd thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.

And 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.

3 A nd Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them away by night.

So 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.

4 A nd he commanded them, saying, See, ye shall be in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, and be all of you ready.

And 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.

5 A nd I and all the people that are with me will approach to the city; and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

And 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

6 A nd they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first; and we will flee before them.

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

7 A nd ye shall rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city; and Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.

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

8 A nd it shall be when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

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

9 A nd Joshua sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai. And Joshua lodged that night among the people.

So 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.

10 A nd Joshua rose early in the morning, and inspected the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

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

11 A nd all the people of war that were with him went up, and drew near, and came before the city; and they encamped on the north of Ai; and the valley was between them and Ai.

And 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.

12 N ow he had taken about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city.

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

13 A nd when they had set the people, the whole camp on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

So 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.

14 A nd it came to pass when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hasted and rose early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain. But he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

When 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.

15 A nd Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.

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

16 A nd all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

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

17 A nd not a man remained in Ai and Bethel that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

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

18 A nd Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that he had 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 in his hand toward the city.

19 A nd the ambush arose quickly from their place, and they ran when he stretched out his hand, and came into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

The 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.

20 A nd the men of Ai turned and saw, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned upon the pursuers.

When 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.

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 ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again and slew the men of Ai.

22 A nd the others went out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and they smote them, until they let none of them escape or flee away.

And 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.

23 A nd the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

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

24 A nd it came to pass when Israel had ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had chased them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

When 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.

25 A nd so it was, that all who fell that day, men as well as women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.

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

26 A nd Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out with the javelin, until they had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

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

27 O nly, the cattle and the spoil of the city Israel took as prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he had commanded Joshua.

Only 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.

28 A nd Joshua burned Ai, and made it an everlasting heap of desolation to this day.

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

29 A nd the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his carcase down from the tree, and threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised upon it a great heap of stones, to this day.

And 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.

30 T hen Joshua built an altar to Jehovah the God of Israel, in mount Ebal,

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

31 a s Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which iron had not been lifted up. And they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.

As 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.

32 A nd he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written before the children of Israel.

And there, in the presence of the Israelites, wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses.

33 A nd all Israel, and their elders, and their officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel, in the beginning.

And 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.

34 A nd afterwards 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.

Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, all that is written in the Book of the Law.

35 T here was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua read not before the whole congregation of Israel, and the women, and the children, and the strangers that lived among them.

There 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.