Joshua 8:7 – 23

 8:7   Then you shall rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city, for Jehovah your God will give it into your hand.

 8:8   And when you capture the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of Jehovah. See, I have commanded you.

 8:9   Then Joshua sent them forth; and they went to the place of ambush, and they stayed between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. And Joshua spent that night among the people.

 8:10   And Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people; and he and the elders of Israel went up before the people to Ai.

 8:11   And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and came before the city. And they camped to the north of Ai, so that the valley was between them and Ai.

 8:12   Now he had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

 8:13   So they set the people, the whole camp, which was north of the city, and the rearguard to the west of the city. And Joshua went into the valley that night.

 8:14   Now when the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people, at the assigned place, facing the Arabah; for he did not know that there was an ambush set for him behind the city.

 8:15   And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and they fled by the way of the wilderness.

 8:16   Then all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua and thus were drawn out of the city.

 8:17   And not a man was left in Ai or in Bethel who did not go forth after Israel, but they abandoned the city, leaving it open, and pursued after Israel.

 8:18   Then Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

 8:19   And the ambush rose up quickly from their place and ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and captured it; and they hurried and set the city on fire.

 8:20   And when the men of Ai turned to see behind them, they looked, and there it was — the smoke of the city going up to heaven; and they had no way to flee this way or that way when the people who had fled into the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

 8:21   When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was rising, they turned and slew the men of Ai.

 8:22   And the others came out from the city to meet them, so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them, so that no one was left to survive or escape.

 8:23   But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.