Joshua 8

The Conquest of Ai

1Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 JoshuaH3091, “Do notH408 be afraidH3372H408 or discouragedH2865. TakeH3947 the wholeH3605 armyH4421H5971 with youH5973, and go upH6965 and attackH5927 AiH5857. SeeH7200, I have deliveredH5414 into your handH3027 the kingH4428 of AiH5857, his peopleH5971, his cityH5892, andH853 his landH776. 2And you shall doH6213 to AiH5857 and its kingH4428 asH834 you didH6213 to JerichoH3405 and its kingH4428, except thatH7535 you may carry offH962 their plunderH7998 and livestockH929 for yourselves. Set upH7760 an ambushH693 behindH310 the cityH5892.”

3So JoshuaH3091 and the wholeH3605 armyH4421H5971 set outH6965 to attackH5927 AiH5857. JoshuaH3091 choseH977 30,000H7970H505H376 mighty menH1368 of valorH2428 and sent them outH7971 at nightH3915 4with these ordersH6680: “Pay attentionH7200. YouH859 are to lie in ambushH693 behindH310 the cityH5892, notH408 tooH3966 farH7368 from itH5892. All of youH3605 must beH1961 readyH3559. 5Then IH589 and allH3605 the troopsH5971 with meH854 will advanceH7126H413 on the cityH5892H1961. WhenH3588 they come outH3318 against usH7122 asH834 they did the first timeH7223, we will fleeH5127 from themH6440. 6They will pursue usH3318H310 untilH5704 we have drawn them awayH5423 fromH4480 the cityH5892, forH3588 they will sayH559, ‘The Israelites are running awayH5127 from usH6440 as they did beforeH834H7223.’ So as we fleeH5127 from themH6440, 7youH859 are to riseH6965 from the ambushH693 and seizeH3423 the cityH5892, for the LORDH3068 your GodH430 will deliver itH5414 into your handH3027. 8AndH1961 when you have takenH8610 the cityH5892, set itH5892 on fireH3341. DoH6213 as the LORDH3068 has commandedH1697! SeeH7200, I have given you ordersH6680.”

9So JoshuaH3091 sent them outH7971, and they wentH1980 toH413 the place of ambushH3993 and lay in waitH3427 betweenH996 BethelH1008 andH996 AiH5857, to the westH3220 of AiH5857. ButH3091 Joshua spentH3885 thatH1931 nightH3915 amongH8432 the peopleH5971.

10JoshuaH3091 got up earlyH7925 the next morningH1242 and mobilizedH6485 his men, and heH1931 and the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478 marchedH5927 beforeH6440 them up to AiH5857. 11Then allH3605 the troopsH5971H4421 whoH834 were with himH854 marched upH5927 and approachedH5066 the cityH5892. They arrivedH935 in frontH5048 of Ai and campedH2583 to the northH6828 of itH5857, with the valleyH1516 between themH996 and the cityH5857.

12Now Joshua had takenH3947 about fiveH2568 thousandH505 menH376 and set upH7760 an ambushH693 betweenH996 BethelH1008 andH996 AiH5857, to the westH3220 of the cityH5892. 13So the forcesH5971 were stationedH7760 with the mainH3605 campH4264 to the northH6828 of the cityH5892 and the rear guardH6119 to the westH3220 of the cityH5892. And thatH1931 nightH3915 JoshuaH3091 wentH1980 intoH8432 the valleyH6010.

14

When the kingH4428 of AiH5857 sawH7200 the Israelites, he hurriedH4116 outH3318 early in the morningH7925 with the menH582 of the cityH5892 to engageH7122 them in battleH4421 at an appointed placeH4150 overlookingH6440 the ArabahH6160. But heH1931 did notH3808 knowH3045 thatH3588 an ambushH693 had been set up against him behindH310 the cityH5892. 15JoshuaH3091 and allH3605 IsraelH3478 let themselves be beaten backH5060 before themH6440, and they fledH5127 towardH1870 the wildernessH4057. 16Then allH3605 the menH5971 of Ai were summonedH2199 to pursue themH7291H310, and they followedH7291H310 JoshuaH3091 and were drawn awayH5423 fromH4480 the cityH5892. 17NotH3808 a manH376 was leftH7604 in AiH5857 or BethelH1008 whoH834 did notH3808 go outH3318 afterH310 IsraelH3478, leavingH5800 the cityH5892 wide openH6605 while they pursuedH7291H310 IsraelH3478.

18Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 JoshuaH3091, “Hold outH5186 your battle lanceH35911 towardH413 AiH5857, forH3588 into your handH3027 I will deliverH5414 the city.” So JoshuaH3091 held outH5186 his battle lanceH3591 towardH413 Ai, 19and as soon as he did soH5186H3027, the men in ambushH693 roseH6965 quicklyH4120 from their positionH4725. They rushed forwardH7323, enteredH935 the cityH5892, captured itH3920, and immediatelyH4116 set itH5892 on fireH3341.

20When the menH582 of AiH5857 turnedH6437 and lookedH7200H2009 backH310, the smokeH6227 of the cityH5892 was risingH5927 into the skyH8064. They could notH3808H1961H3027 escapeH5127 in any directionH2008, and the troopsH5971 who had fledH5127 to the wildernessH4057 now turnedH2015 againstH413 their pursuersH7291. 21When JoshuaH3091 and allH3605 IsraelH3478 sawH7200 thatH3588 the men in ambushH693 had capturedH3920 the cityH5892 and thatH3588 smokeH6227 was rising fromH5927 it, they turned aroundH7725 and struck downH5221 the menH582 of AiH5857. 22Meanwhile, those in the ambushH428 came outH3318 ofH4480 the cityH5892 against themH7122, and the men of Ai wereH1961 trapped betweenH8432 the IsraeliteH3478 forcesH428 onH2088 both sidesH428H2088. So Israel struck them downH5221 untilH5704 noH1115 survivorH8300 or fugitiveH6412 remainedH7604. 23ButH853 they tookH8610 the kingH4428 of AiH5857 aliveH2416 and broughtH7126 himH853 toH413 JoshuaH3091.

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When IsraelH3478 had finishedH3615 killingH2026 allH3605 the menH3427 of AiH5857 who had pursuedH7291 them into the fieldH7704 and wildernessH4057, and when everyH3605 last one of them had fallenH5307 by the swordH6310H2719H5704H8552, allH3605 the IsraelitesH3478 returnedH7725 to AiH5857 and putH5221 itH853 to the swordH6310H2719 as well. 25A totalH3605 of twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 menH376 andH5704 womenH802 fellH5307 thatH1931 dayH3117—allH3605 the peopleH582 of AiH5857. 26JoshuaH3091 did notH3808 draw backH7725 the handH3027 thatH834 heldH5186 his battle lanceH3591 untilH5704 he had devoted to destructionH27632 allH3605 who livedH3427 in AiH5857. 27IsraelH3478 tookH962 for themselves onlyH7535 the cattleH929 and plunderH7998 of thatH1931 cityH5892, as the LORDH3068 had commandedH1697H834H6680 JoshuaH3091.

28So JoshuaH3091 burnedH8313 AiH58573 and made itH7760 a permanentH5769 heap of ruinsH8510, a desolationH8077 toH5704 thisH2088 dayH3117. 29He hungH8518 the kingH4428 of AiH5857 onH5921 a treeH60864 untilH5704H6256 eveningH6153, and at sunsetH935H8121 JoshuaH3091 commandedH6680 that they take down the bodyH5038H3381 fromH4480 the treeH6086 and throw it downH7993 atH413 the entranceH6607 of the cityH5892 gateH8179. And over itH5921 they raisedH6965 a largeH1419 pileH1530 of rocksH68, which remains toH5704 thisH2088 dayH3117.

Joshua Renews the Covenant

(Deuteronomy 27:1–10)

30At that timeH227 JoshuaH3091 builtH1129 an altarH4196 on MountH2022 EbalH5858 to the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, 31just asH834 MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 the IsraelitesH1121H3478. He built it according to what is writtenH3789 in the BookH5612 of the LawH8451 of MosesH4872: “an altarH4196 of uncutH8003 stonesH68 onH5921 whichH834 noH3808 iron toolH1270 has been usedH5130.”5 And on itH5921 they offeredH5927 burnt offeringsH5930 to the LORDH3068, and they sacrificedH2076 peace offeringsH8002.

32And thereH8033 in the presenceH6440 of the IsraelitesH1121H3478, Joshua inscribedH3789 onH5921 the stonesH68 a copyH4932 of the lawH8451 of MosesH4872, whichH834 he had writtenH3789. 33AllH3605 IsraelH3478, foreignersH1616 and citizens alikeH249, with their eldersH2205, officersH7860, and judgesH8199, stoodH5975 on both sidesH2088 of the arkH727 of the covenantH1285 of the LORDH3068 facingH5048 the LeviticalH3881 priestsH3548 who carriedH5375 it. HalfH2677 of the people stood inH413 frontH4136 of MountH2022 GerizimH1630 and half of themH2677 inH413 frontH4136 of MountH2022 EbalH5858, asH834 MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 earlierH7223, to blessH1288 the peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478.

34AfterwardH310H3651, Joshua read aloudH7121 allH3605 the wordsH1697 of the lawH8451—the blessingsH1293 and the cursesH7045—according to allH3605 that is writtenH3789 in the BookH5612 of the LawH8451. 35There wasH1961 notH3808 a wordH1697 of allH3605 thatH834 MosesH4872 had commandedH6680 thatH834 JoshuaH3091 failedH3808 to readH7121 beforeH5048 the wholeH3605 assemblyH6951 of IsraelH3478, including the womenH802, the little onesH2945, and the foreignersH1616 who livedH1980 among themH7130.