Joshua 8:6-21

⁶And 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.

⁷And 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹And 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.

¹²And he took about five thousand men, and set them as an ambush between Beth-el and 'Ai, on the west side of 'Ai.

¹³And 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.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And Joshua and Israel feigned themselves beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰And 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.

²¹For 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.