Joshua 8

1And Jehovah saidH559 unto JoshuaH3091, FearH3372 not, neither be thou dismayedH2865: takeH3947 all the peopleH5971 of warH4421 with thee, and ariseH6965, goH5927 up to Ai; seeH7200, I have givenH5414 into thy handH3027 the kingH4428 of Ai, and his peopleH5971, and his cityH5892, and his landH776; 2and thou shalt do to Ai and her kingH4428 as thou didst unto JerichoH3405 and her kingH4428: onlyH7535 the spoilH7998 thereof, and the cattleH929 thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: setH7760 thee an ambushH693 for the cityH5892 behind it.

3So JoshuaH3091 aroseH6965, and all the peopleH5971 of warH4421, to goH5927 up to Ai: and JoshuaH3091 choseH977 out thirtyH7970 thousandH505 menH376, the mightyH1368 menH376 of valor, and sentH7971 them forthH7971 by nightH3915. 4And he commandedH6680 them, sayingH559, Behold, ye shall lieH693 in ambushH693 against the cityH5892, behind the cityH5892; go not veryH3966 farH7368 from the cityH5892, but beH1961 ye all ready: 5and I, and all the peopleH5971 that are with me, will approach unto the cityH5892. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the firstH7223, that we will fleeH5127 before them; 6and they will comeH3318 out after us, till we have drawn them away from the cityH5892; for they will sayH559, They fleeH5127 before us, as at the firstH7223: so we will fleeH5127 before them; 7and ye shall riseH6965 up from the ambushH693, and takeH3423 possessionH3423 of the cityH5892: for Jehovah your GodH430 will deliver it into your handH3027. 8And it shall beH1961, when ye have seizedH8610 upon the cityH5892, that ye shall setH3341 the cityH5892 on fireH784; according to the wordH1697 of Jehovah shall ye do: seeH7200, I have commandedH6680 you. 9And JoshuaH3091 sentH7971 them forthH7971; and they went to the ambushment, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the westH3220 side of Ai: but JoshuaH3091 lodged that nightH3915 among the peopleH5971.

10And JoshuaH3091 arose up earlyH7925 in the morningH1242, and musteredH6485 the peopleH5971, and wentH5927 up, he and the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478, before the peopleH5971 to Ai. 11And all the peopleH5971, eventhemen ofwarH4421 that were with him, wentH935 up, and drewH5066 nigh, and cameH935 before the cityH5892, and encampedH2583 on the northH6828 side of Ai: now there was a valleyH1516 between him and Ai. 12And he tookH3947 about fiveH2568 thousandH505 menH376, and setH7760 them in ambushH693 between Beth-el and Ai, on the westH3220 side of the cityH5892. 13So they setH7760 the peopleH5971, even all the host that was on the northH6828 of the cityH5892, and their liers-in-wait that were on the westH3220 of the cityH5892; and JoshuaH3091 went that nightH3915 into the midstH8432 of the valleyH6010. 14And it came to pass, when the kingH4428 of Ai sawH7200 it, that they hasted and roseH7925 up earlyH7925, and the menH376 of the cityH5892 wentH3318 out against IsraelH3478 to battleH4421, he and all his peopleH5971, at the timeH4150 appointedH4150, before the ArabahH6160; but he knewH3045 not that there wasH1961 an ambushH693 against him behind the cityH5892. 15And JoshuaH3091 and all IsraelH3478 made as if they were beaten before them, and fledH5127 by the wayH1870 of the wildernessH4057. 16And all the peopleH5971 that were in the cityH5892 were calledH2199 togetherH2199 to pursueH7291 after them: and they pursuedH7291 after JoshuaH3091, and were drawn away from the cityH5892. 17And there was not a manH376 leftH7604 in Ai or Beth-el, that wentH3318 not out after IsraelH3478: and they leftH7604 the cityH5892 openH6605, and pursuedH7291 after IsraelH3478.

18And Jehovah saidH559 unto JoshuaH3091, StretchH5186 out the javelinH3591 that is in thy handH3027 toward Ai; for I will giveH5414 it into thy handH3027. And JoshuaH3091 stretchedH5186 out the javelinH3591 that was in his handH3027 toward the cityH5892. 19And the ambushH693 aroseH6965 quicklyH4116 out of their placeH4725, and they ranH7323 as soon as he had stretchedH5186 out his handH3027, and entered into the cityH5892, and tookH3920 it; and they hasted and setH6965 the cityH5892 on fireH784. 20And when the menH376 of Ai lookedH7200 behind them, they sawH7200, and, behold, the smokeH6227 of the cityH5892 ascended up to heavenH8064, and they had no power to fleeH5127 this way or that way: and the peopleH5971 that fledH5127 to the wildernessH4057 turnedH6437 backH6437 upon the pursuersH7291. 21And when JoshuaH3091 and all IsraelH3478 sawH7200 that the ambushH693 had takenH3920 the cityH5892, and that the smokeH6227 of the cityH5892 ascended, then they turnedH7725 again, and slew the menH376 of Ai. 22And the others came forthH3318 out of the cityH5892 against them; so they wereH1961 in the midstH8432 of IsraelH3478, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remainH7604 or escape. 23And the kingH4428 of Ai they took aliveH2416, and broughtH7126 him to JoshuaH3091.

24And it came to pass, when IsraelH3478 had made an endH3615 of slaying all the inhabitantsH3427 of Ai in the fieldH7704, in the wildernessH4057 wherein they pursuedH7291 them, and they were all fallenH5307 by the edge of the swordH2719, until they were consumed, that all IsraelH3478 returnedH7725 unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the swordH2719. 25And all that fellH5307 that dayH3117, both of menH376 and womenH802, wereH1961 twelve thousandH505, even all the menH376 of Ai. 26For JoshuaH3091 drew not backH7725 his handH3027, wherewith he stretchedH5186 out the javelinH3591, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitantsH3427 of Ai. 27OnlyH7535 the cattleH929 and the spoilH7998 of that cityH5892 IsraelH3478 took for prey unto themselves, according unto the wordH1697 of Jehovah which he commandedH6680 JoshuaH3091. 28So JoshuaH3091 burnt Ai, and madeH7760 it a heap for everH5769, even a desolationH8077, unto this dayH3117. 29And the kingH4428 of Ai he hangedH8518 on a treeH6086 until the eventide: and at the goingH935 downH3381 of the sunH8121 JoshuaH3091 commandedH6680, and they took his body downH3381 from the treeH6086, and castH7993 it at the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179 of the cityH5892, and raisedH6965 thereon a greatH1419 heapH1530 of stonesH68, unto this dayH3117.

30ThenH227 JoshuaH3091 builtH1129 an altarH4196 unto Jehovah, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, in mount EbalH5858, 31as MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of Jehovah commandedH6680 the children of IsraelH3478, as it is writtenH3789 in the bookH5612 of the lawH8451 of MosesH4872, an altarH4196 of unhewn stonesH68, upon which no man had lifted up any ironH1270: and they offeredH5927 thereon burnt-offerings unto Jehovah, and sacrificedH2076 peace-offerings. 32And he wroteH3789 there upon the stonesH68 a copyH4932 of the lawH8451 of MosesH4872, which he wroteH3789, in the presenceH6440 of the children of IsraelH3478. 33And all IsraelH3478, and their eldersH2205 and officersH7860, and their judgesH8199, stoodH5975 on this side of the arkH727 and on that side before the priestsH3548 the LevitesH3881, that bare the arkH727 of the covenantH1285 of Jehovah, as well the sojournerH1616 as the home-born; halfH2677 of them in frontH5048 of mount GerizimH1630, and halfH2677 of them in frontH5048 of mount EbalH5858; as MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of Jehovah had commandedH6680 at the firstH7223, that they should blessH1288 the peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478. 34And afterward he readH7121 all the wordsH1697 of the lawH8451, the blessingH1293 and the curseH7045, according to all that is writtenH3789 in the bookH5612 of the lawH8451. 35There wasH1961 not a wordH1697 of all that MosesH4872 commandedH6680, which JoshuaH3091 readH7121 not before all the assemblyH6951 of IsraelH3478, and the womenH802, and the littleH2945 onesH2945, and the sojournersH1616 that were among them.