Joshua 8:16-27

¹⁶and the men cried together, and with gladness stirred themselves together, and they pursued the men of Israel. And when they had gone away from the city,

¹⁷and soothly not one had or was left in the city of Ai and Bethel, that pursued not Israel, and they left the cities open, as they had broken out,

¹⁸the Lord said to Joshua, Raise up the shield or the sword that is in thine hand, against the city of Ai; for I shall give it to thee. And when Joshua had raised up his banner or the shield or the sword against the city of Ai,

¹⁹the ambushments, that were hid, rose up anon; and they went to the city, and took it, and burnt it.

²⁰Forsooth the men of the city, that pursued Joshua, beheld, and saw the smoke of the city ascend or go up till to heaven; and they might no more flee hither and thither; mostly since they that had feigned flight, and went to wilderness, withstood strongliest against the pursuers.

²¹And Joshua saw, and all Israel, that the city was taken, and that the smoke of the city went up; and he turned again, and killed the men of Ai.

²²And also those men that had taken and burnt the city, went out of the city against their enemies, and they began to smite the middle men of their enemies; and when their adversaries were slain behind and before, so that no man of so great a multitude was saved,

²³they took also the king of Ai living, and they brought him to Joshua.

²⁴Therefore, when all the men were slain, that pursued Israel fleeing to desert, and had fallen by sword in the same place, the sons of Israel turned again, and destroyed the city of Ai.

²⁵Forsooth they that felled down in the same day, from man till to woman, were twelve thousand of men, all men of the city of Ai.

²⁶For Joshua withdrew not his hand, which he had dressed on high holding up his banner or the shield or the sword, till that all the dwellers of Ai were slain.

²⁷And the sons of Israel parted to themselves the work beasts, and the prey of the city, as the Lord com-manded to Joshua;