And the LORDsaiduntoJoshua, Fearnot, neitherbe thou dismayed: takeallthe peopleof warwiththee, and arise, go upto Ai: see, I have giveninto thy handthe kingof Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: And thou shalt doto Aiand her kingasthou didstunto Jerichoand her king: onlythe spoilthereof, and the cattlethereof, shall ye take for a preyunto yourselves: laythee an ambushfor the citybehindit. So Joshuaarose, and allthe peopleof war, to go upagainst Ai: and Joshuachose outthirtythousandmightymenof valor, and sent them awayby night. And he commandedthem, saying, Behold, yeshall lie in waitagainst the city, even behindthe city: gonotveryfar fromthe city, but beye allready: And I, and allthe peoplethat are withme, will approachuntothe city: and it shall come to pass, whenthey come outagainstus, asat the first, that we will fleebeforethem, (For they will come outafterus) tillwe have drawnthem fromthe city; forthey will say, They fleebeforeus, asat the first: therefore we will fleebeforethem. Then yeshall rise upfrom the ambush, and seize uponthe city: for the LORDyour Godwill deliverit into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have takenthe city, that ye shall setthe cityon fire: according to the commandmentof the LORDshall ye do. See, I have commandedyou. Joshuatherefore sent them forth: and they wenttolie in ambush, and abodebetweenBetheland Ai, on the west sideof Ai: but Joshualodgedthatnightamongthe people. And Joshuarose up earlyin the morning, and numberedthe people, and went up, heand the eldersof Israel, beforethe peopleto Ai. And allthe people, even the people of warthat were withhim, went up, and drew nigh, and camebeforethe city, and pitchedon the north sideof Ai: now there was a valleybetweenthem and Ai. And he tookabout fivethousandmen, and setthem to lie in ambushbetweenBetheland Ai, on the west sideof the city. And when they had setthe people, even allthe hostthat was on the northof the city, and their liers in waiton the westof the city, Joshuawentthatnightinto the midstof the valley. And it came to pass, when the kingof Aisaw it , that they hastedand rose up early, and the menof the citywent outagainstIsraelto battle, heand allhis people, at a time appointed, beforethe plain; but heknewnotthat there were liers in ambushagainst him behindthe city. And Joshuaand allIsraelmade as if they were beatenbeforethem, and fledby the wayof the wilderness. And allthe peoplethat were in Aiwere called togetherto pursueafterthem: and they pursuedafterJoshua, and were drawn awayfromthe city. And there was nota manleftin Aior Bethel, thatwent not outafterIsrael: and they leftthe cityopen, and pursuedafterIsrael. And the LORDsaiduntoJoshua, Stretch outthe spearthat is in thy handtowardAi; forI will giveit into thine hand. And Joshuastretched outthe spearthat he had in his handtowardthe city. And the ambusharosequicklyout of their place, and they ranas soon as he had stretched outhis hand: and they enteredinto the city, and tookit, and hastedand setthe cityon fire. And when the menof Ailookedbehindthem, they saw, and, behold, the smokeof the cityascended upto heaven, and they hadnopowerto fleethis wayor that way: and the peoplethat fledto the wildernessturned backuponthe pursuers. And when Joshuaand allIsraelsawthatthe ambushhad takenthe city, and thatthe smokeof the cityascended, then they turned again, and slewthe menof Ai. And the otherissued outofthe cityagainstthem; so they werein the midstof Israel, someon this side, and someon that side: and they smotethem, sothat they let noneof them remainor escape. And the kingof Aithey tookalive, and broughthim toJoshua. And it came to pass, when Israelhad made an endof slayingallthe inhabitantsof Aiin the field, in the wildernesswhereinthey chasedthem, and when they were allfallenon the edgeof the sword, untilthey were consumed, that allthe Israelitesreturnedunto Ai, and smoteit with the edgeof the sword. And so it was, that allthat fellthatday, both of menand women, were twelvethousand, even allthe menof Ai. For Joshuadrewnothis handback, wherewithhe stretched outthe spear, untilhe had utterly destroyedallthe inhabitantsof Ai. Onlythe cattleand the spoilof thatcityIsraeltook for a preyunto themselves, according unto the wordof the LORDwhichhe commandedJoshua. And JoshuaburntAi, and madeit a heapforever, even a desolationuntothisday. And the kingof Aihe hangedona treeuntileventide: and as soon as the sunwas down, Joshuacommandedthat they should take his carcass downfromthe tree, and castit atthe enteringof the gateof the city, and raisethereona greatheapof stones, that remaineth untothisday. ThenJoshuabuiltan altarunto the LORDGodof Israelin mountEbal, AsMosesthe servantof the Lordcommandedthe childrenof Israel, as it is writtenin the bookof the lawof Moses, an altarof wholestones, overwhichnoman hath lifted up any iron: and they offeredthereonburnt offeringsunto the LORD, and sacrificedpeace offerings. And he wrotethereuponthe stonesa copyof the lawof Moses, whichhe wrotein the presenceof the childrenof Israel. And allIsrael, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stoodon this sidethe arkand on that sidebeforethe prieststhe Levites, which borethe arkof the covenantof the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; halfof them overagainstmountGerizim, and halfof them overagainstmountEbal; asMosesthe servantof the Lordhad commandedbefore, that they should blessthe peopleof Israel. And afterwardhe readallthe wordsof the law, the blessingsand cursings, according to allthat is writtenin the bookof the law. There wasnota wordof allthatMosescommanded, whichJoshuareadnotbeforeallthe congregationof Israel, with the women, and the littleones, and the strangersthat were conversantamongthem.