1 And the LORD3068 said559 unto413 Joshua,3091 Fear3372 not,408 neither408 be thou dismayed:2865 take3947 853 all3605 the people5971 of war4421 with5973 thee, and arise,6965 go up5927 to Ai:5857 see,7200 I have given5414 into thy hand3027 853 the king4428 of Ai,5857 and his people,5971 and his city,5892 and his land: 776

2 And thou shalt do6213 to Ai5857 and her king4428 as834 thou didst6213 unto Jericho3405 and her king:4428 only7535 the spoil7998 thereof, and the cattle929 thereof, shall ye take for a prey962 unto yourselves: lay7760 thee an ambush693 for the city5892 behind4480 310 it.

3 So Joshua3091 arose,6965 and all3605 the people5971 of war,4421 to go up5927 against Ai:5857 and Joshua3091 chose out977 thirty7970 thousand505 mighty1368 men376 of valor,2428 and sent them away7971 by night.3915

4 And he commanded6680 them, saying,559 Behold,7200 ye859 shall lie in wait693 against the city,5892 even behind4480 310 the city:5892 go7368 not408 very3966 far from4480 the city,5892 but be1961 ye all3605 ready: 3559

5 And I,589 and all3605 the people5971 that834 are with854 me, will approach7126 unto413 the city:5892 and it shall come to pass,1961 when3588 they come out3318 against7125 us, as834 at the first,7223 that we will flee5127 before6440 them,

6 (For they will come out3318 after310 us) till5704 we have drawn5423 them from4480 the city;5892 for3588 they will say,559 They flee5127 before6440 us, as834 at the first:7223 therefore we will flee5127 before6440 them.

7 Then ye859 shall rise up6965 from the ambush,4480 693 and seize upon3423 853 the city:5892 for the LORD3068 your God430 will deliver5414 it into your hand.3027

8 And it shall be,1961 when ye have taken8610 853 the city,5892 that ye shall set3341 853 the city5892 on fire:784 according to the commandment1697 of the LORD3068 shall ye do.6213 See,7200 I have commanded6680 you.

9 Joshua3091 therefore sent them forth:7971 and they went1980 to413 lie in ambush,3993 and abode3427 between996 Bethel1008 and Ai,5857 on the west side4480 3220 of Ai:5857 but Joshua3091 lodged3885 that1931 night3915 among8432 the people.5971

10 And Joshua3091 rose up early7925 in the morning,1242 and numbered6485 853 the people,5971 and went up,5927 he1931 and the elders2205 of Israel,3478 before6440 the people5971 to Ai.5857

11 And all3605 the people,5971 even the people of war4421 that834 were with854 him, went up,5927 and drew nigh,5066 and came935 before5048 the city,5892 and pitched2583 on the north side4480 6828 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 west side4480 3220 of the city.5892

13 And when they had set7760 the people,5971 even853 all3605 the host4264 that834 was on the north4480 6828 of the city,5892 and their liers in wait6119 on the west4480 3220 of the city,5892 Joshua3091 went1980 that1931 night3915 into the midst8432 of the valley.6010

14 And it came to pass,1961 when the king4428 of Ai5857 saw7200 it, that they hasted4116 and rose up early,7925 and the men376 of the city5892 went out3318 against7125 Israel3478 to battle,4421 he1931 and all3605 his people,5971 at a time appointed,4150 before6440 the plain;6160 but he1931 knew3045 not3808 that3588 there were liers in ambush693 against him behind4480 310 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 that834 were in Ai5857 were called together2199 to pursue7291 after310 them: and they pursued7291 after310 Joshua,3091 and were drawn away5423 from4480 the city.5892

17 And there was not3808 a man376 left7604 in Ai5857 or Bethel,1008 that834 went not out3318 3808 after310 Israel:3478 and they left5800 853 the city5892 open,6605 and pursued7291 after310 Israel.3478

18 And the LORD3068 said559 unto413 Joshua,3091 Stretch out5186 the spear3591 that834 is in thy hand3027 toward413 Ai;5857 for3588 I will give5414 it into thine hand.3027 And Joshua3091 stretched out5186 the spear3591 that834 he had in his hand3027 toward413 the city.5892

19 And the ambush693 arose6965 quickly4120 out of their place,4480 4725 and they ran7323 as soon as he had stretched out5186 his hand:3027 and they entered935 into the city,5892 and took3920 it, and hasted4116 and set3341 853 the city5892 on fire.784

20 And when the men376 of Ai5857 looked6437 behind310 them, they saw,7200 and, behold,2009 the smoke6227 of the city5892 ascended up5927 to heaven,8064 and they had1961 no3808 power3027 to flee5127 this way2008 or that way:2008 and the people5971 that fled5127 to the wilderness4057 turned back2015 upon413 the pursuers.7291

21 And when Joshua3091 and all3605 Israel3478 saw7200 that3588 the ambush693 had taken3920 853 the city,5892 and that3588 the smoke6227 of the city5892 ascended,5927 then they turned again,7725 and slew5221 853 the men376 of Ai.5857

22 And the other428 issued out3318 of4480 the city5892 against7125 them; so they were1961 in the midst8432 of Israel,3478 some428 on this side,4480 2088 and some428 on that side:4480 2088 and they smote5221 them, so5704 that they let none1115 of them remain7604 or escape.6412

23 And the king4428 of Ai5857 they took8610 alive,2416 and brought7126 him to413 Joshua.3091

24 And it came to pass,1961 when Israel3478 had made an end3615 of slaying2026 853 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 unto Ai,5857 and smote5221 it with the edge6310 of the sword.2719

25 And so it was,1961 that all3605 that fell5307 that1931 day,3117 both of men4480 376 and women,802 were twelve8147 6240 thousand,505 even all3605 the men376 of Ai.5857

26 For Joshua3091 drew7725 not3808 his hand3027 back, wherewith834 he stretched out5186 the spear,3591 until5704 834 he had utterly destroyed2763 853 all3605 the inhabitants3427 of Ai.5857

27 Only7535 the cattle929 and the spoil7998 of that1931 city5892 Israel3478 took for a prey962 unto themselves, according unto the word1697 of the LORD3068 which834 he commanded6680 853 Joshua.3091

28 And Joshua3091 burnt8313 853 Ai,5857 and made7760 it a heap8510 forever,5769 even a desolation8077 unto5704 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 take his carcass down3381 853 5038 from4480 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 remaineth unto5704 this2088 day.3117

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

31 As834 Moses4872 the servant5650 of the Lord3068 commanded6680 853 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 hath lifted up5130 any iron:1270 and they offered5927 thereon5921 burnt offerings5930 unto the LORD,3068 and sacrificed2076 peace offerings.8002

32 And he wrote3789 there8033 upon5921 the stones68 853 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 this side4480 2088 the ark727 and on that side4480 2088 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 born among them;249 half2677 of them over413 against4136 mount2022 Gerizim,1630 and half2677 of them over413 against4136 mount2022 Ebal;5858 as834 Moses4872 the servant5650 of the Lord3068 had commanded6680 before,7223 that they should bless1288 853 the people5971 of Israel.3478

34 And afterward310 3651 he read7121 853 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 was1961 not3808 a word1697 of all4480 3605 that834 Moses4872 commanded,6680 which834 Joshua3091 read7121 not3808 before5048 all3605 the congregation6951 of Israel,3478 with the women,802 and the little2945 ones, and the strangers1616 that were conversant1980 among7130 them.