1 N ow the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor 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.

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 you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for 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 S o Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor 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: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be 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 T hen I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall 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 F or they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘ They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore 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 T hen you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord 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 will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the Lord you shall 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 J oshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but 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 T hen Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered 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 who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay 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 S o he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side 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, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard 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 N ow it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know 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 made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

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

16 S o all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued 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 T here was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued 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 T hen the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was 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 S o those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to 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 when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on 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 N ow when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down 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 T hen the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

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 B ut 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 made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck 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 S o it was that all who fell that day, both men and 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 F or Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he 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 livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the Lord 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 S o Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a 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 evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Joshua Renews the Covenant

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 N ow Joshua built an altar to the Lord 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 the Lord 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 no man has wielded an iron tool. ” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, 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 there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

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

33 T hen all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were 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 people of Israel.

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 afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, 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 did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living 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.