| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. | 1The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land. |
| 2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.” | 2Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king; you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city." |
| 3So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night | 3So Joshua and the whole military force set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 fighting men and sent them out at night. |
| 4with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready. | 4He commanded them: "Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready. |
| 5Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. | 5Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. |
| 6They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them, | 6They will come after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, 'They are fleeing from us as before.' While we are fleeing from them, |
| 7you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. | 7you are to come out of your ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God has handed it over to you. |
| 8And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.” | 8After taking the city, set it on fire. Follow the LORD's command--see that you do as I have ordered you." |
| 9So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people. | 9So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops. |
| 10Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai. | 10Joshua started early the next morning and mobilized them. Then he and the elders of Israel led the troops up to Ai. |
| 11Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city. | 11All those who were with him went up and approached the city, arriving opposite Ai, and camped to the north of it, with a valley between them and the city. |
| 12Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. | 12Now Joshua had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. |
| 13So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley. | 13The military force was stationed in this way: the main camp to the north of the city and its rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley. |
| 14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city. | 14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city. |
| 15Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. | 15Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness. |
| 16Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city. | 16Then all the troops of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. |
| 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel. | 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city exposed while they pursued Israel. |
| 18Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai, | 18Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out the sword in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the city over to you." So Joshua held out his sword toward it. |
| 19and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. | 19When he held out his hand, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They ran, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. |
| 20When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers. | 20The men of Ai turned and looked back, and smoke from the city was rising to the sky! They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers. |
| 21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. | 21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. |
| 22Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained. | 22Then men in ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces, some on one side and some on the other. They struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained, |
| 23But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. | 23but they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. |
| 24When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well. | 24When Israel had finished killing everyone living in Ai who had pursued them into the open country, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the sword. |
| 25A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. | 25The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was 12,000--all the people of Ai. |
| 26Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai. | 26Joshua did not draw back his hand that was holding the sword until all the inhabitants of Ai were completely destroyed. |
| 27Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua. | 27Israel plundered only the cattle and spoil of that city for themselves, according to the LORD's command that He had given Joshua. |
| 28So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day. | 28Joshua burned Ai and left it a permanent ruin, desolate to this day. |
| 29He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. | 29He hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take his body down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and put a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day. |
| 30At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, | 30At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, |
| 31just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings. | 31just as Moses the LORD's servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it. |
| 32And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. | 32There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites. |
| 33All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel. | 33All Israel, foreigner and citizen alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the LORD's covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. As Moses the LORD's servant had commanded earlier, half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, to bless the people of Israel. |
| 34Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. | 34Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law--the blessings as well as the curses--according to all that is written in the book of the law. |
| 35There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them. | 35There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the little children, and the foreigners who were with them. |
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