Joshua 8

The Conquest of Ai

1Now the LordH3068 saidH559 to JoshuaH3091, “1Do not fearH3372 or be dismayedH2865. TakeH3947 allH3605 the peopleH5971 of warH4421 with you and ariseH6965, goH5927 up to AiH5857; seeH7200, 2I have givenH5414 into your handH3027 the kingH4428 of AiH5857, his peopleH5971, his cityH5892, and his landH776. 2You shall doH6213 to AiH5857 and its kingH4428 justH3512 as you didH6213 to JerichoH3405 and its kingH4428; you shall 3takeH962 onlyH7534 its spoilH7998 and its cattleH929 as plunderH962 for yourselves. 4SetH7760 an ambushH693 for the cityH5892 behindH4480H310 it.”

3So JoshuaH3091 roseH6965 with allH3605 the peopleH5971 of warH4421 to goH5927 up to AiH5857; and JoshuaH3091 choseH977 30,000H7970H505 menH376, valiantH2428 warriorsH1368, and sentH7971 them out at nightH3915. 4He commandedH6680 them, sayingH559, “SeeH7200, you are 5going to ambushH693 the cityH5892 from behindH310 6it. Do not goH7368 veryH3966 farH7368 from the cityH5892, but allH3605 of you be readyH3559. 5Then I and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are with me will approachH7126 the cityH5892. And whenH3588 they comeH3318 out to meetH7122 us as at the firstH7223, 7we will fleeH5127 beforeH6440 them. 6They will comeH3318 out afterH310 us untilH5704 we have drawnH5423 them awayH5423 from the cityH5892, for they will sayH559, ‘They are fleeingH5127 beforeH6440 us as at the firstH7223.’ So we will fleeH5127 beforeH6440 them. 7And you shall riseH6965 from your ambushH693 and takeH3423 possessionH3423 of the cityH5892, for the LordH3068 your GodH430 will deliverH5414 it into your handH3027. 8Then it will be when you have seizedH8610 the cityH5892, that you shall setH3341 the cityH5892 on fireH784. You shall doH6213 it 8according to the wordH1697 of the LordH3068. SeeH7200, I have commandedH6680 you.” 9So JoshuaH3091 sentH7971 them awayH7971, and they wentH1980 to the place of ambushH3993 and remainedH3427 betweenH996 BethelH1008 and AiH5857, on the westH3220 sideH3220 of AiH5857; but JoshuaH3091 spentH3885 that nightH3915 amongH8432 the peopleH5971.

10Now JoshuaH3091 9roseH7925 earlyH7925 in the morningH1242 and musteredH6485 the peopleH5971, and he wentH5927 up with the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478 beforeH6440 the peopleH5971 to AiH5857. 11Then allH3605 the peopleH5971 of warH4421 whoH834 were with him wentH5927 up and drewH5066 nearH5066 and arrivedH935 in frontH5048 of the cityH5892, and campedH2583 on the northH6828 sideH6828 of AiH5857. Now there was a valleyH1516 betweenH996 him and AiH5857. 12And he tookH3947 about 5,000H2568H505 menH376 and setH7760 them in ambushH693 betweenH996 10BethelH1008 and AiH5857, on the westH3220 sideH3220 of the 11cityH5892. 13So they stationedH7760 the peopleH5971, allH3605 the armyH4264 that was on the northH6828 sideH6828 of the cityH5892, and its rearH6119 guardH6119 on the westH3220 sideH3220 of the cityH5892, and JoshuaH3091 spentH1980 that nightH3915 in the midstH8432 of the valleyH6010. 14It cameH1961 about when the kingH4428 of AiH5857 sawH7200 it, that the menH376 of the cityH5892 hurriedH4116 and roseH7925 up earlyH7925 and wentH3318 out to meetH7122 IsraelH3478 in battleH4421, he and allH3605 his peopleH5971 at the appointedH4150 placeH4150 beforeH6440 the desertH6160 plainH6160. But he did not knowH3045 that there was an ambushH693 against him behindH4480H310 the cityH5892. 15JoshuaH3091 and allH3605 IsraelH3478 pretendedH5060 to be beatenH5060 beforeH6440 them, and fledH5127 12by the wayH1870 of the wildernessH4057. 16And allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were in the cityH5892 were calledH2199 togetherH2199 to pursueH7291 them, and they pursuedH7291 JoshuaH3091 and 13were drawnH5423 awayH5423 from the cityH5892. 17So not a manH376 was leftH7604 in AiH5857 or BethelH1008 whoH834 had not goneH3318 out afterH310 IsraelH3478, and they leftH5800 the cityH5892 14unguardedH6605 and pursuedH7291 IsraelH3478.

18Then the LordH3068 saidH559 to JoshuaH3091, “15StretchH5186 out the javelinH3591 that is in your handH3027 towardH413 AiH5857, for I will giveH5414 it into your handH3027.” So JoshuaH3091 stretchedH5186 out the javelinH3591 that was in his handH3027 towardH413 the cityH5892. 19The men in ambushH693 roseH6965 quicklyH4120 from their placeH4725, and when he had stretchedH5186 out his handH3027, they ranH7323 and enteredH935 the cityH5892 and capturedH3920 it, and they quicklyH4116 setH3341 the cityH5892 on fireH784. 20When the menH376 of AiH5857 turnedH6437 16backH310 and lookedH7200, beholdH2009, the smokeH6227 of the cityH5892 ascendedH5927 to the skyH8064, and they hadH1961 noH3808 placeH3027 to fleeH5127 thisH2088 wayH2008 or that, for the peopleH5971 who had been fleeingH5127 to the wildernessH4057 turnedH2015 againstH413 the pursuersH7291. 21When JoshuaH3091 and allH3605 IsraelH3478 sawH7200 that the men in ambushH693 had capturedH3920 the cityH5892 and that the smokeH6227 of the cityH5892 ascendedH5927, they turnedH7725 backH7725 and 17slewH5221 the menH376 of AiH5857. 2218The othersH428 cameH3318 out from the cityH5892 to encounterH7122 them, so that they were trapped in the midstH8432 of IsraelH3478, 19someH428 on thisH2088 sideH2088 and someH428 on that sideH2088; and they 20slewH5221 them untilH5704 21noH1115 one was leftH7604 22of those whoH8300 survivedH8300 or escapedH6412. 23But they tookH8610 aliveH2416 the kingH4428 of AiH5857 and broughtH7126 him to JoshuaH3091.

24Now when IsraelH3478 had finishedH3615 killingH2026 allH3605 the inhabitantsH3427 of AiH5857 in the fieldH7704 in the wildernessH4057 whereH834 they pursuedH7291 them, and allH3605 of them were fallenH5307 by the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719 untilH5704 they were destroyedH8552, then allH3605 IsraelH3478 returnedH7725 to AiH5857 and struckH5221 it with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719. 2523AllH3605 who fellH5307 that dayH3117, bothH4480 menH376 and womenH802, were 12,000H8147H6240H505--allH3605 the 24peopleH376 of AiH5857. 26For JoshuaH3091 25did not withdrawH7725 his handH3027 with whichH834 he stretchedH5186 out the javelinH3591 untilH5704 he had 26utterlyH2763 destroyedH2763 allH3605 the inhabitantsH3427 of AiH5857. 2727IsraelH3478 tookH962 onlyH7534 the cattleH929 and the spoilH7998 of that cityH5892 as plunderH962 for themselves, according to the wordH1697 of the LordH3068 whichH834 He had commandedH6680 JoshuaH3091. 28So JoshuaH3091 burnedH8313 AiH5857 and madeH7760 it 28a heapH8510 foreverH5769, a desolationH8077 untilH5704 thisH2088 dayH3117. 2929He hangedH8518 the kingH4428 of AiH5857 on a treeH6086 untilH5704 eveningH6153; and at sunsetH8121H935 JoshuaH3091 gaveH6680 commandH6680 and they tookH3381 his bodyH5038 downH3381 from the treeH6086 and threwH7993 it at the entranceH6607 of the cityH5892 gateH8179, and raisedH6965 overH5921 it a greatH1419 heapH1530 of stonesH68 that stands to thisH2088 dayH3117.

30ThenH227 JoshuaH3091 builtH1129 an altarH4196 to the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, in 30MountH2022 EbalH5858, 31justH3512 as MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, as it is writtenH3789 in the bookH5612 of the lawH8451 of MosesH4872, 31an altarH4196 of uncutH8003 stonesH68 on whichH834 noH3808 man had wieldedH5130 an ironH1270 tool; and they offeredH5927 burntH5930 offeringsH5930 on it to the LordH3068, and sacrificedH2076 peaceH8002 offeringsH8002. 32He 32wroteH3789 thereH8033 on the stonesH68 a copyH4932 of the lawH8451 of MosesH4872, whichH834 33he had writtenH3789, in the presenceH6440 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478. 3334AllH3605 IsraelH3478 with their eldersH2205 and officersH7860 and their judgesH8199 were standingH5975 on bothH4480H2088 sidesH4480H2088 of the arkH727 beforeH5048 the LeviticalH3881 priestsH3548 who carriedH5375 the arkH727 of the covenantH1285 of the LordH3068, the strangerH1616 as well as the nativeH249. HalfH2677 of them stood in frontH4136 of 35MountH2022 GerizimH1630 and halfH2677 of them in frontH4136 of MountH2022 EbalH5858, justH3512 as MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LordH3068 had givenH6680 commandH6680 at firstH7223 to blessH1288 the peopleH5971 of IsraelH3478. 34Then afterwardH310H3651 he readH7121 allH3605 the wordsH1697 of the lawH8451, the blessingH1293 and the curseH7045, according to allH3605 that is writtenH3789 in 36the bookH5612 of the lawH8451. 35There was not a wordH1697 of allH3605 that MosesH4872 had commandedH6680 whichH834 JoshuaH3091 did not readH7121 beforeH5048 allH3605 the assemblyH6951 of IsraelH3478 37with the womenH802 and the littleH2945 onesH2945 and the strangersH1616 who were 38livingH1980 amongH7130 them.