Chapter 8

And the LORD said⁴ unto Joshua, Fear⁴ not, neither be thou dismayed:¹¹ take³ all the people of war with thee, and arise,³ go up³ to Ai: see,³ I have given¹ into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

And thou shalt do¹ to Ai and her king as thou didst¹ unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey⁴ unto yourselves: lay³ thee an ambush⁶ for the city behind it.

So Joshua arose,⁴ and all the people of war, to go up² against Ai: and Joshua chose⁴ out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away⁴ by night.

And he commanded¹⁷ them, saying,² Behold,³ ye shall lie in wait⁶ against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far⁵⁵ from the city, but be ye all ready:¹²

And I, and all the people that [are] with me, will approach⁴ unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out⁴ against² us, as at the first, that we will flee¹ before them,

(For they will come out¹ after us) till we have drawn⁵³ them from the city; for they will say,⁴ They flee⁵ before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee¹ before them.

Then ye shall rise up⁴ from the ambush,⁶ and seize⁵² upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver¹ it into your hand.

And it shall be, when ye have taken² the city, [that] ye shall set⁵⁵ the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do.⁴ See,³ I have commanded¹⁴ you.

Joshua therefore sent them forth:⁴ and they went⁴ to lie in ambush, and abode⁴ between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged⁴ that night among the people.

And Joshua rose up early⁵⁵ in the morning, and numbered⁴ the people, and went up,⁴ he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with him, went up,¹ and drew nigh,⁴ and came⁴ before the city, and pitched⁴ on the north side of Ai: now [there was] a valley between them and Ai.

And he took⁴ about five thousand men, and set⁴ them to lie in ambush⁶ between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. ⁵⁸⁹²

And when they had set⁴ the people, [even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went⁴ that night into the midst of the valley.

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw² [it], that they hasted¹⁷ and rose up early,⁵⁵ and the men of the city went out⁴ against² Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist¹ not that [there were] liers in ambush⁶ against him behind the city.

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten¹¹ before them, and fled⁴ by the way of the wilderness.

And all the people that [were] in Ai ⁵⁸⁹² were called¹¹ together to pursue² after them: and they pursued⁴ after Joshua, and were drawn away¹¹ from the city.

And there was not a man left⁸ in Ai or Bethel, that went not out¹ after Israel: and they left⁴ the city open,⁷ and pursued⁴ after Israel.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Joshua, Stretch out³ the spear that [is] in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give⁴ it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out⁴ the spear that [he had] in his hand toward the city.

And the ambush⁶ arose¹ quickly out of their place, and they ran⁴ as soon as he had stretched out² his hand: and they entered⁴ into the city, and took⁴ it, and hasted¹⁷ and set⁵⁵ the city on fire.

And when the men of Ai looked⁴ behind them, they saw,⁴ and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up¹ to heaven, and they had no power to flee² this way or that way: and the people that fled⁵ to the wilderness turned back⁸ upon the pursuers.⁶

And when Joshua and all Israel saw¹ that the ambush⁶ had taken¹ the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended,¹ then they turned again,⁴ and slew⁵⁵ the men of Ai.

And the other issued out¹ of the city against² them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote⁵⁵ them, so that they let⁵² none of them remain or escape.

And the king of Ai they took¹ alive, and brought⁵⁵ him to Joshua.

And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end¹⁵ of slaying² all the inhabitants⁶ of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased¹ them, and when they were all fallen⁴ on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed,² that all the Israelites returned⁴ unto Ai, and smote⁵⁵ it with the edge of the sword.

And [so] it was, [that] all that fell⁶ that day, both of men and women, [were] twelve ⁶²⁴⁰ thousand, [even] all the men of Ai.

For Joshua drew not his hand back,⁵² wherewith he stretched out¹ the spear, until he had utterly destroyed⁵² all the inhabitants⁶ of Ai.

Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey¹ unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded¹⁴ Joshua.

And Joshua burnt⁴ Ai, and made⁴ it an heap for ever, [even] a desolation unto this day.

And the king of Ai he hanged¹ on a tree until eventide: ⁶¹⁵³ and as soon as the sun was down,² Joshua commanded¹⁴ that they should take his carcase down⁵⁵ from the tree, and cast⁵⁵ it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise⁵⁵ thereon a great heap of stones, [that remaineth] unto this day.

Then Joshua built⁴ an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded¹⁴ the children of Israel, as it is written⁷ in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up⁵² [any] iron: and they offered⁵⁵ thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed⁴ peace offerings.

And he wrote⁴ there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote¹ in the presence of the children of Israel.

And all Israel, and their elders, and officers,⁶ and their judges,⁶ stood⁶ on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare⁶ the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded¹⁴ before, that they should bless¹⁵ the people of Israel.

And afterward he read¹ all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written⁷ in the book of the law.

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded,¹⁴ which Joshua read¹ not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant⁶ among them.