1 Y ahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with 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 Y ou shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set 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, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out 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 H e commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t 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 I and all the people who are with me will approach to the city. It shall happen, 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 T hey will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So 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 you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for Yahweh 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 I t shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to Yahweh’s word. Behold, 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 sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.

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 J oshua rose up early in the morning, 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 ll the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up, and came near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him 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 H e 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 S o they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle 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 W hen the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t 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 J oshua 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 A ll the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. 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 Beth El who didn’t go out after Israel. 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 Y ahweh said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin 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 T he ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it. They hurried 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 W hen the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who 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 W hen Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and killed 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 he others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, 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 T hey captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

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

24 W hen Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, all Israel 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 A ll that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men 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 didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, 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 I srael took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to Yahweh’s word which he 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 burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even 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 H e hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at sundown Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

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

31 a s Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh 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 H e wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of 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 ll Israel, their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the priests the Levites, who carried the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded at the first, 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 fterward 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 commanded, which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were 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.