Joshua 8:6-21

⁶They'll chase after us as we draw them away from the town, because they'll say to each other, ‘They're running away from us just like before.’

⁷While we're running away from them, you will get up from your ambush positions and take the town for the Lord God will hand it over to you.

⁸Once you've captured the town, set it on fire, as the Lord has instructed. Now follow your orders.”

⁹Joshua sent them out, and they went to lie in ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But that night Joshua stayed with the people in the camp.

¹⁰Early the next morning Joshua got up early and gathered the people and went up to attack Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.

¹¹All the fighting men who were with him approached the front of the town, and camped there on the north side, with a valley between them and Ai.

¹²He took about five thousand men and had them lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the town.

¹³So the army took up their positions—the main army to the north of the town, and the ambush to the west. Joshua went that night to the valley.

¹⁴As soon as the king of Ai saw the situation, he and all his men rushed out early in the morning to attack the Israelites where they had before, at a place overlooking the Jordan valley. He didn't know about the ambush waiting on the other side of the town.

¹⁵Joshua and the Israelites allowed themselves to be driven back, and ran away in the direction of the wilderness.

¹⁶All the men of the town were called out to chase after them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn father from the town.

¹⁷There wasn't a man left in Ai and Bethel who didn't go out to chase the Israelites. They left the town wide open as they pursued the Israelites.

¹⁸Then the Lord told Joshua, “Hold up the spear in your hand and point it at Ai, because I'm giving it to you.” So Joshua held up the spear in his hand and pointed it at the town.

¹⁹As soon as they saw this signal the men lying in ambush got up and rushed into the town. They captured it, and quickly set it on fire.

²⁰When the men of Ai looked back they saw the smoke rising up into the sky from the town. They had nowhere to run to, because the Israelites who had been running away towards the wilderness now turned on their pursuers.

²¹For when Joshua and the Israelites saw that the ambush group had captured the town, and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.