1 And the LORD3068 said559 to Joshua,3091 Fear3372 not, neither408 be you dismayed:2865 take3947 all3605 the people5971 of war4421 with you, and arise,6965 go5927 up to Ai:5857 see,7200 I have given5414 into your hand3027 the king4428 of Ai,5857 and his people,5971 and his city,5892 and his land:776

2 And you shall do6213 to Ai5857 and her king4428 as you did6213 to Jericho3405 and her king:4428 only7535 the spoil7998 thereof, and the cattle929 thereof, shall you take for a prey962 to yourselves: lay7760 you an ambush693 for the city5892 behind310 it.

3 So Joshua3091 arose,6965 and all3605 the people5971 of war,4421 to go5927 up against Ai:5857 and Joshua3091 chose977 out thirty7970 thousand505 mighty1368 men376 of valor,2428 and sent7971 them away by night.3915

4 And he commanded6680 them, saying,559 Behold,7200 you shall lie693 in wait693 against the city,5892 even behind310 the city:5892 go7368 not very3966 far7368 from the city,5892 but be you all3605 ready:3559

5 And I, and all3605 the people5971 that are with me, will approach7126 to the city:5892 and it shall come1961 to pass, when3588 they come3318 out against7125 us, as at the first,7223 that we will flee5127 before6440 them,

6 (For they will come3318 out after310 us) till5704 we have drawn5423 them from the city;5892 for they will say,559 They flee5127 before6440 us, as at the first:7223 therefore we will flee5127 before6440 them.

7 Then you shall rise6965 up from the ambush,693 and seize3423 on the city:5892 for the LORD3068 your God430 will deliver5414 it into your hand.3027

8 And it shall be, when you have taken8610 the city,5892 that you shall set3341 the city5892 on fire:784 according to the commandment1697 of the LORD3068 shall you do.6213 See,7200 I have commanded6680 you.

9 Joshua3091 therefore sent7971 them forth: and they went3212 to lie in ambush,693 and stayed3427 between996 Bethel1008 and Ai,5857 on the west3220 side of Ai:5857 but Joshua3091 lodged3885 that night3915 among8432 the people.5971

10 And Joshua3091 rose7925 up early7925 in the morning,1242 and numbered6485 the people,5971 and went5927 up, he and the elders2205 of Israel,3478 before6440 the people5971 to Ai.5857

11 And all3605 the people,5971 even the people5971 of war4421 that were with him, went5927 up, and drew near,5066 and came935 before5048 the city,5892 and pitched2583 on the north6828 side of Ai:5857 now there was a valley1516 between996 them and Ai.5857

12 And he took3947 about five2568 thousand505 men,376 and set7760 them to lie in ambush693 between996 Bethel1008 and Ai,5857 on the west3220 side of the city.5892

13 And when they had set7760 the people,5971 even all3605 the host4264 that was on the north6828 of the city,5892 and their liers in wait6119 on the west3220 of the city,5892 Joshua3091 went3212 that night3915 into the middle8432 of the valley.6010

14 And it came1961 to pass, when the king4428 of Ai5857 saw7200 it, that they hurried4116 and rose7925 up early,7925 and the men582 of the city5892 went3318 out against7125 Israel3478 to battle,4421 he and all3605 his people,5971 at a time appointed,4150 before6440 the plain;6160 but he knew3045 not that there were liers in ambush693 against him behind310 the city.5892

15 And Joshua3091 and all3605 Israel3478 made as if they were beaten5060 before6440 them, and fled5127 by the way1870 of the wilderness.4057

16 And all3605 the people5971 that were in Ai5892 were called2199 together to pursue7291 after310 them: and they pursued7291 after310 Joshua,3091 and were drawn5423 away from the city.5892

17 And there was not a man376 left7604 in Ai5857 or Bethel,1008 that went3318 not out after310 Israel:3478 and they left5800 the city5892 open,6605 and pursued7291 after Israel.3478

18 And the LORD3068 said559 to Joshua,3091 Stretch5186 out the spear3591 that is in your hand3027 toward413 Ai;5857 for I will give5414 it into your hand.3027 And Joshua3091 stretched5186 out the spear3591 that he had in his hand3027 toward413 the city.5892

19 And the ambush693 arose6965 quickly4120 out of their place,4725 and they ran7323 as soon as he had stretched5186 out his hand:3027 and they entered935 into the city,5892 and took3920 it, and hurried4116 and set the city5892 on fire.784

20 And when the men582 of Ai5857 looked6437 behind310 them, they saw,7200 and, behold,2009 the smoke6227 of the city5892 ascended5927 up to heaven,8064 and they had no3808 power3027 to flee5127 this2007 way2008 or that way:2008 and the people5971 that fled5127 to the wilderness4057 turned2015 back2015 on the pursuers.7291

21 And when Joshua3091 and all3605 Israel3478 saw7200 that the ambush693 had taken3920 the city,5892 and that the smoke6227 of the city5892 ascended,5927 then they turned7725 again,7725 and slew5221 the men582 of Ai.5857

22 And the other428 issued3318 out of the city5892 against7125 them; so they were in the middle8432 of Israel,3478 some428 on this2088 side, and some428 on that side: and they smote5221 them, so5704 that they let none1115 of them remain8300 or escape.6412

23 And the king4428 of Ai5857 they took8610 alive,2416 and brought7126 him to Joshua.3091

24 And it came1961 to pass, when Israel3478 had made an end3615 of slaying2026 all3605 the inhabitants3427 of Ai5857 in the field,7704 in the wilderness4057 wherein834 they chased7291 them, and when they were all3605 fallen5307 on the edge6310 of the sword,2719 until5704 they were consumed,8552 that all3605 the Israelites3478 returned7725 to Ai,5857 and smote5221 it with the edge6310 of the sword.2719

25 And so it was, that all3605 that fell5307 that day,3117 both of men376 and women,802 were twelve8147 6240 thousand,505 even all3605 the men582 of Ai.5857

26 For Joshua3091 drew7725 not his hand3027 back,7725 with which834 he stretched5186 out the spear,3591 until5704 he had utterly destroyed2763 all3605 the inhabitants3427 of Ai.5857

27 Only7535 the cattle929 and the spoil7998 of that city5892 Israel3478 took for a prey962 to themselves,1992 according to the word1697 of the LORD3068 which834 he commanded6680 Joshua.3091

28 And Joshua3091 burnt8313 Ai,5857 and made7760 it an heap8510 for ever,5769 even a desolation8077 to this2088 day.3117

29 And the king4428 of Ai5857 he hanged8518 on5921 a tree6086 until5704 eventide:6256 6153 and as soon as the sun8121 was down,935 Joshua3091 commanded6680 that they should take3381 his carcass5038 down3381 from the tree,6086 and cast7993 it at413 the entering6607 of the gate8179 of the city,5892 and raise6965 thereon5921 a great1419 heap1530 of stones,68 that remains to this2088 day.3117

30 Then227 Joshua3091 built1129 an altar4196 to the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478 in mount2022 Ebal,5858

31 As Moses4872 the servant5650 of the LORD3068 commanded6680 the children1121 of Israel,3478 as it is written3789 in the book5612 of the law8451 of Moses,4872 an altar4196 of whole8003 stones,68 over5921 which834 no3808 man has lift5130 up any iron:1270 and they offered5927 thereon5921 burnt5930 offerings to the LORD,3068 and sacrificed2076 peace8002 offerings.

32 And he wrote3789 there8033 on the stones68 a copy4932 of the law8451 of Moses,4872 which834 he wrote3789 in the presence6440 of the children1121 of Israel.3478

33 And all3605 Israel,3478 and their elders,2205 and officers,7860 and their judges,8199 stood5975 on this2088 side the ark727 and on that side before5048 the priests3548 the Levites,3881 which bore5375 the ark727 of the covenant1285 of the LORD,3068 as well the stranger,1616 as he that was born249 among them; half2677 of them over413 against4136 mount2022 Gerizim,1630 and half2677 of them over413 4136 against4136 mount2022 Ebal;5858 as Moses4872 the servant5650 of the LORD3068 had commanded6680 before,7223 that they should bless1288 the people5971 of Israel.3478

34 And afterward310 3651 he read7121 all3605 the words1697 of the law,8451 the blessings1293 and cursings,7045 according to all3605 that is written3789 in the book5612 of the law.8451

35 There was not a word1697 of all3605 that Moses4872 commanded,6680 which834 Joshua3091 read7121 not before5048 all3605 the congregation6951 of Israel,3478 with the women,802 and the little2945 ones, and the strangers1616 that were conversant1980 among7130 them.