Joshua 8
1 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed. Take with thee all the people of war, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.
And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou discouraged: take with thee all the people of war, and arise, go up to 'Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of 'Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.
2 And thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.
And thou shalt do to 'Ai and to its king as thou hast done unto Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its cattle shall ye take for booty unto yourselves; but lay thee an ambush for the city in its rear.
3 And Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them away by night.
So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against 'Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.
4 And he commanded them, saying, See, ye shall be in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, and be all of you ready.
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, in the rear of the city; go not very far from the city; and be ye all ready;
5 And I and all the people that are with me will approach to the city; and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.
And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city; and it shall come to pass that, when they come out against us, as at the first time, we will flee before them;
6 And they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first; and we will flee before them.
And they will come out after us, till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee from us as at the first time: and we will flee before them.
7 And ye shall rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city; and Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.
And then shall ye rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; and the Lord your God will deliver it in into your hand.
8 And it shall be when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
And it shall be, that as soon as ye have seized the city, ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the Lord shall ye do: see, I have commanded you.
9 And Joshua sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai. And Joshua lodged that night among the people.
And Joshua sent them off: and they went to lie in ambush, and remained between Beth-el and 'Ai, on the west side of 'Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and inspected the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people, toward 'Ai.
11 And all the people of war that were with him went up, and drew near, and came before the city; and they encamped on the north of Ai; and the valley was between them and Ai.
And all the people of war that were with him went up, and drew nigh, and came opposite the city, and encamped on the north side of 'Ai; and the valley was between them and 'Ai.
12 Now he had taken about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city.
And he took about five thousand men, and set them as an ambush between Beth-el and 'Ai, on the west side of 'Ai.
13 And when they had set the people, the whole camp on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
And the people, all the camp that was on the north of the city, and its ambush on the west of the city got ready; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hasted and rose early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain. But he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
And it came to pass, when the king of 'Ai saw this, the men of the city hastened and rose up early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the plain; but he knew not that there was an ambush against him in the rear of the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.
And Joshua and Israel feigned themselves beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16 And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
And all the people that were in 'Ai were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17 And not a man remained in Ai and Bethel that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
And there was not a man left in 'Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
18 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that he had in his hand toward the city.
And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward 'Ai; for into thy hand will I give it. And Joshua stretched out the spear which was in his hand toward the city.
19 And the ambush arose quickly from their place, and they ran when he stretched out his hand, and came into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took possession of it, and hastened and set the city on fire.
20 And the men of Ai turned and saw, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned upon the pursuers.
And the men of 'Ai turned [and looked] behind them, and they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven; and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that had fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had seized the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended: they turned back, and smote the men of 'Ai.
22 And the others went out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and they smote them, until they let none of them escape or flee away.
And the others issued out of the city against them; so that the Israelites had them in the middle, some on this side, and some on that side; and they smote them, until there was not left of them one that remained or escaped.
23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
And the king of 'Ai they caught alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24 And it came to pass when Israel had ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had chased them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
And it came to pass, that, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of 'Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had pursued them, and when they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, All the Israelites returned unto 'Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25 And so it was, that all who fell that day, men as well as women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.
And [the number of] all that fell in that day, both of men and women, was twelve thousand, all the people of 'Ai.
26 And Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out with the javelin, until they had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
And Joshua drew not back his hand, wherewith he had stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of 'Ai.
27 Only, the cattle and the spoil of the city Israel took as prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he had commanded Joshua.
Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty unto themselves, according to the word of the Lord which he had commanded Joshua.
28 And Joshua burned Ai, and made it an everlasting heap of desolation to this day.
And Joshua burnt 'Ai, and made it a ruinous heap of desolation for ever, even unto this day,
29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his carcase down from the tree, and threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised upon it a great heap of stones, [which remains] to this day.
And the king of 'Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide; and at the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took his carcass down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the city gate, and they raised over him a great heap of stones, [which is] even unto this day.
30 Then Joshua built an altar to Jehovah the God of Israel, in mount Ebal,
Then did Joshua build an altar unto the Lord, the God of Israel on mount 'Ebal,
31 as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which iron had not been lifted up. And they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
As Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no one had lifted up any iron tool; and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
32 And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written before the children of Israel.
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
33 And all Israel, and their elders, and their officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born [Israelite]; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel, in the beginning.
And all Israel, and their elders, and the officers, and their judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark, opposite the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger no less than the native born: half of them turned toward mount Gerizzim, and the other half of them turned toward mount 'Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded, to bless the people of Israel at first.
34 And afterwards he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, all, just as it is written in the book of the law.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua read not before the whole congregation of Israel, and the women, and the children, and the strangers that lived among them.
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the stranger that walked in the midst of them.
