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Verse 1

And Jehovah{H3068} said{H559} unto Joshua,{H3091} Fear{H3372} not, neither be thou dismayed:{H2865} take{H3947} all the people{H5971} of war{H4421} with thee, and arise,{H6965} go up{H5927} to Ai;{H5857} see,{H7200} I have given{H5414} into thy hand{H3027} the king{H4428} of Ai,{H5857} and his people,{H5971} and his city,{H5892} and his land;{H776}

Verse 2

And thou shalt do{H6213} to Ai{H5857} and her king{H4428} as thou didst{H6213} unto Jericho{H3405} and her king:{H4428} only the spoil{H7998} thereof, and the cattle{H929} thereof, shall ye take for a prey{H962} unto yourselves: set{H7760} thee an ambush{H693} for the city{H5892} behind{H310} it.

Verse 3

So Joshua{H3091} arose,{H6965} and all the people{H5971} of war,{H4421} to go up{H5927} to Ai:{H5857} and Joshua{H3091} chose out{H977} thirty{H7970} thousand{H505} men, the mighty{H1368} men{H376} of valor,{H2428} and sent them forth{H7971} by night.{H3915}

Verse 4

And he commanded{H6680} them, saying,{H559} Behold,{H7200} ye shall lie in ambush{H693} against the city,{H5892} behind{H310} the city;{H5892} go{H7368} not very{H3966} far{H7368} from the city,{H5892} but be ye all ready:{H3559}

Verse 5

and I, and all the people{H5971} that are with me, will approach{H7126} unto the city.{H5892} And it shall come to pass, when they come out{H3318} against{H7125} us, as at the first,{H7223} that we will flee{H5127} before{H6440} them;

Verse 6

and they will come out{H3318} after{H310} us, till we have drawn{H5423} them away from the city;{H5892} for they will say,{H559} They flee{H5127} before{H6440} us, as at the first:{H7223} so we will flee{H5127} before{H6440} them;

Verse 7

and ye shall rise up{H6965} from the ambush,{H693} and take possession{H3423} of the city:{H5892} for Jehovah{H3068} your God{H430} will deliver{H5414} it into your hand.{H3027}

Verse 8

And it shall be, when ye have seized{H8610} upon the city,{H5892} that ye shall set{H3341} the city{H5892} on fire;{H784} according to the word{H1697} of Jehovah{H3068} shall ye do:{H6213} see,{H7200} I have commanded{H6680} you.

Verse 9

And Joshua{H3091} sent them forth;{H7971} and they went{H3212} to the ambushment,{H3993} and abode{H3427} between Beth-el{H1008} and Ai,{H5857} on the west side{H3220} of Ai:{H5857} but Joshua{H3091} lodged{H3885} that night{H3915} among{H8432} the people.{H5971}

Verse 10

And Joshua{H3091} arose up early{H7925} in the morning,{H1242} and mustered{H6485} the people,{H5971} and went up,{H5927} he and the elders{H2205} of Israel,{H3478} before{H6440} the people{H5971} to Ai.{H5857}

Verse 11

And all the people,{H5971} [even] the [men of] war{H4421} that were with him, went up,{H5927} and drew nigh,{H5066} and came{H935} before the city,{H5892} and encamped{H2583} on the north side{H6828} of Ai:{H5857} now there was a valley{H1516} between him and Ai.{H5857}

Verse 12

And he took{H3947} about five{H2568} thousand{H505} men,{H376} and set{H7760} them in ambush{H693} between Beth-el{H1008} and Ai,{H5857} on the west side{H3220} of the city.{H5857}

Verse 13

So they set{H7760} the people,{H5971} even all the host{H4264} that was on the north{H6828} of the city,{H5892} and their liers-in-wait{H6119} that were on the west{H3220} of the city;{H5892} and Joshua{H3091} went{H3212} that night{H3915} into the midst{H8432} of the valley.{H6010}

Verse 14

And it came to pass, when the king{H4428} of Ai{H5857} saw{H7200} it, that they hasted{H4116} and rose up early,{H7925} and the men{H582} of the city{H5892} went out{H3318} against{H7125} Israel{H3478} to battle,{H4421} he and all his people,{H5971} at the time appointed,{H4150} before{H6440} the Arabah;{H6160} but he knew{H3045} not that there was an ambush{H693} against him behind{H310} the city.{H5892}

Verse 15

And Joshua{H3091} and all Israel{H3478} made as if they were beaten{H5060} before{H6440} them, and fled{H5127} by the way{H1870} of the wilderness.{H4057}

Verse 16

And all the people{H5971} that were in the city{H5857} were called{H2199} together to pursue{H7291} after{H310} them: and they pursued{H7291} after{H310} Joshua,{H3091} and were drawn away{H5423} from the city.{H5892}

Verse 17

And there was not a man{H376} left{H7604} in Ai{H5857} or Beth-el,{H1008} that went not out{H3318} after{H310} Israel:{H3478} and they left{H5800} the city{H5892} open,{H6605} and pursued{H7291} after Israel.{H3478}

Verse 18

And Jehovah{H3068} said{H559} unto Joshua,{H3091} Stretch out{H5186} the javelin{H3591} that is in thy hand{H3027} toward Ai;{H5857} for I will give{H5414} it into thy hand.{H3027} And Joshua{H3091} stretched out{H5186} the javelin{H3591} that was in his hand{H3027} toward the city.{H5892}

Verse 19

And the ambush{H693} arose{H6965} quickly{H4120} out of their place,{H4725} and they ran{H7323} as soon as he had stretched out{H5186} his hand,{H3027} and entered{H935} into the city,{H5892} and took{H3920} it; and they hasted{H4116} and set{H3341} the city{H5892} on fire.{H784}

Verse 20

And when the men{H582} of Ai{H5857} looked{H6437} behind{H310} them, they saw,{H7200} and, behold, the smoke{H6227} of the city{H5892} ascended up{H5927} to heaven,{H8064} and they had no power{H3027} to flee{H5127} this way or that way:{H2008} and the people{H5971} that fled{H5127} to the wilderness{H4057} turned back{H2015} upon the pursuers.{H7291}

Verse 21

And when Joshua{H3091} and all Israel{H3478} saw{H7200} that the ambush{H693} had taken{H3920} the city,{H5892} and that the smoke{H6227} of the city{H5892} ascended,{H5927} then they turned again,{H7725} and slew{H5221} the men{H582} of Ai.{H5857}

Verse 22

And the others{H428} came forth{H3318} out of the city{H5892} against{H7125} them; so they were in the midst{H8432} of Israel,{H3478} some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote{H5221} them, so that{H5704} they let{H7604} none of them remain{H8300} or escape.{H6412}

Verse 23

And the king{H4428} of Ai{H5857} they took{H8610} alive,{H2416} and brought{H7126} him to Joshua.{H3091}

Verse 24

And it came to pass, when Israel{H3478} had made an end{H3615} of slaying{H2026} all the inhabitants{H3427} of Ai{H5857} in the field,{H7704} in the wilderness{H4057} wherein they pursued{H7291} them, and they were all fallen{H5307} by the edge{H6310} of the sword,{H2719} until they were consumed,{H8552} that all Israel{H3478} returned{H7725} unto Ai,{H5857} and smote{H5221} it with the edge{H6310} of the sword.{H2719}

Verse 25

And all that fell{H5307} that day,{H3117} both of men{H376} and women,{H802} were twelve{H8147} thousand,{H505} even all the men{H376} of Ai.{H5857}

Verse 26

For Joshua{H3091} drew{H7725} not back{H7725} his hand,{H3027} wherewith he stretched out{H5186} the javelin,{H3591} until he had utterly destroyed{H2763} all the inhabitants{H3427} of Ai.{H5857}

Verse 27

Only the cattle{H929} and the spoil{H7998} of that city{H5892} Israel{H3478} took for prey{H962} unto themselves, according unto the word{H1697} of Jehovah{H3068} which he commanded{H6680} Joshua.{H3091}

Verse 28

So Joshua{H3091} burnt{H8313} Ai,{H5857} and made{H7760} it a heap{H8510} for ever,{H5769} even a desolation,{H8077} unto this day.{H3117}

Verse 29

And the king{H4428} of Ai{H5857} he hanged{H8518} on a tree{H6086} until the eventide:{H6256} and at the going down{H935} of the sun{H8121} Joshua{H3091} commanded,{H6680} and they took{H3381} his body{H5038} down{H3381} from the tree,{H6086} and cast{H7993} it at the entrance{H6607} of the gate{H8179} of the city,{H5892} and raised{H6965} thereon a great{H1419} heap{H1530} of stones,{H68} unto this day.{H3117}

Verse 30

Then Joshua{H3091} built{H1129} an altar{H4196} unto Jehovah,{H3068} the God{H430} of Israel,{H3478} in mount{H2022} Ebal,{H5858}

Verse 31

as Moses{H4872} the servant{H5650} of Jehovah{H3068} commanded{H6680} the children{H1121} of Israel,{H3478} as it is written{H3789} in the book{H5612} of the law{H8451} of Moses,{H4872} an altar{H4196} of unhewn{H8003} stones,{H68} upon which no man had lifted up{H5130} any iron:{H1270} and they offered{H5927} thereon burnt-offerings{H5930} unto Jehovah,{H3068} and sacrificed{H2076} peace-offerings.{H5930}

Verse 32

And he wrote{H3789} there upon the stones{H68} a copy{H4932} of the law{H8451} of Moses,{H4872} which he wrote,{H3789} in the presence{H6440} of the children{H1121} of Israel.{H3478}

Verse 33

And all Israel,{H3478} and their elders{H2205} and officers,{H7860} and their judges,{H8199} stood{H5975} on this side of the ark{H727} and on that side before the priests{H3548} the Levites,{H3881} that bare{H5375} the ark{H727} of the covenant{H1285} of Jehovah,{H3068} as well the sojourner{H1616} as the homeborn;{H249} half{H2677} of them in{H413} front{H4136} of mount{H2022} Gerizim,{H1630} and half{H2677} of them in front{H4136} of mount{H2022} Ebal;{H5858} as Moses{H4872} the servant{H5650} of Jehovah{H3068} had commanded{H6680} at the first,{H7223} that they should bless{H1288} the people{H5971} of Israel.{H3478}

Verse 34

And afterward{H310} he read{H7121} all the words{H1697} of the law,{H8451} the blessing{H1293} and the curse,{H7045} according to all that is written{H3789} in the book{H5612} of the law.{H8451}

Verse 35

There was not a word{H1697} of all that Moses{H4872} commanded,{H6680} which Joshua{H3091} read{H7121} not before all the assembly{H6951} of Israel,{H3478} and the women,{H802} and the little ones,{H2945} and the sojourners{H1616} that were{H1980} among{H7130} them.

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Chapter 8
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