Joshua 8:1-21 ▼

1 Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Joshua (YHWH saves), “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai (heap of ruins). See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

2 And you shall do to Ai (heap of ruins) and its king as you did to Jericho (city of palms) and its king, except that you⁺ may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”

3 So Joshua (YHWH saves) and the whole army set out to attack Ai (heap of ruins). Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night

4 with these orders: “Pay attention. You⁺ are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you⁺ must be ready.

5 Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.

6 They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,

7 you⁺ are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} will deliver it into your⁺ hand.

8 And when you⁺ have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD {YHWH} has commanded! See, I have given you⁺ orders.”

9 So Joshua (YHWH saves) sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel (house of God) and Ai (heap of ruins), to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.

10 Joshua (YHWH saves) got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel (he wrestles with God) marched before them up to Ai (heap of ruins).

11 Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it (heap of ruins), with the valley between them and the city.

12 Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel (house of God) and Ai (heap of ruins), to the west of the city.

13 So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua (YHWH saves) went into the valley.

14 When the king of Ai (heap of ruins) saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them (he wrestles with God) in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.

15 Joshua (YHWH saves) and all Israel (he wrestles with God) let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

16 Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua (YHWH saves) and were drawn away from the city.

17 Not a man was left in Ai (heap of ruins) or Bethel (house of God) who did not go out after Israel (he wrestles with God), leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.

18 Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Joshua (YHWH saves), “Hold out your battle lance (javelin) toward Ai (heap of ruins), for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,

19 and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.

20 When the men of Ai (heap of ruins) turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.

21 When Joshua (YHWH saves) and all Israel (he wrestles with God) saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai (heap of ruins).