Joshua 8:2-12

2You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall 1take only its spoils and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. 2Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3So Joshua rose up with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. 4He commanded them, saying, “See, you are 3going to ambush the city from behind 4it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us as they did the first time, 5we will flee before them. 6They will come out after us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us just as they did the first time.’ So we will flee before them. 7Then you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city, for the Lord your God will hand it over to you. 8Then it will be when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it 6in accordance with the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.” 9So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10Now Joshua 7got up early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11Then all the people of war who were with him went up and approached, and arrived in front of the city; and they camped on the north side of Ai. And there was a valley between him and Ai. 12Then he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between 8Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the 9city.