International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1The LORD then told Joshua, "Don't be afraid or lose heart! Take all the fighting men with you, and go up right now to Ai. Take note that I have handed over the king of Ai into your control, along with his people, his city, and his land.

1And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.

2Do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, but take its spoil and its livestock as war booty for yourselves. Set an ambush around the city."

2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

3So Joshua and all of the fighting men prepared to go out against Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 valiant warriors and sent them out by night,

3So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.

4telling them, "Pay attention now! You are to set up an ambush around the city. Don't go very far from the city, and all of you remain on alert.

4And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready.

5I and all of the army with me will advance upon the city. When they come out after us like they did before, we'll run away from them.

5And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them.

6They'll come after us until we've drawn them away from the city, because they'll say, 'They're running away from us just like they did before.' While we're running away from them,

6And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them.

7you get up from the ambush and seize the city, because the LORD your God will give it into your control.

7Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will give it into your hand.

8When you've taken the city, set it on fire, just as the LORD ordered. Look! These are your orders!"

8And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you.”

9So Joshua sent them out, and they set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. Joshua spent that night in the camp among the army.

9So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10In the morning, Joshua got up early, mustered his army, and set off for Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel in full view of the army.

10Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11The entire fighting force with him attacked, approaching the city, and camped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.

11And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.

12Taking about 5,000 men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai to the west of the city,

12He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

13stationing their forces with its main encampment north of the city and its rear guard to the west. Joshua spent that night in the valley.

13So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.

14When the king of Ai saw what had happened, he and his army quickly got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle. He and all his people met at the place adjacent to the desert plain. But he didn't know about the ambush that had been set for him on the other side of the city.

14And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15Because Joshua and the entire fighting force of Israel pretended to lose the battle by running away in front of them toward the wilderness,

15And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.

16everyone in the city followed after them. As they pursued Joshua, they were drawn away from the town.

16So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.

17There wasn't a single man left in Ai or Bethel who didn't run out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

18Then the LORD told Joshua, "Stretch out the battle lance that's in your hand toward Ai, because I will give it into your control." So Joshua stretched out the battle lance that was in his hand toward the city.

18Then the LORD 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.

19As soon as he stretched out his hand, the troops in ambush quickly got up from their place of hiding and attacked. They entered the city, seized it, and immediately set it on fire.

19And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire.

20Then the men of Ai looked back behind them—and all of a sudden!—smoke from the city was rising into the sky. They were unable to run in any direction, because the Israelis who had fled toward the wilderness had turned around to attack their pursuers.

20So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.

21When Joshua and the entire fighting force of Israel observed that the men who had been in ambush had seized the city and that the smoke from the city was rising, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.

21And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

22Then the others came out from the city against them, so the men of Ai were surrounded by the Israelis, some on one side and some on the other. Israel attacked them until no one was left to survive or escape.

22And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped.

23But the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.

23But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.

24When Israel had completed executing all of the residents of Ai in the open wilderness where they had chased them, and after all of them—to the very last of them—had been killed by swords, the entire fighting force of Israel returned to Ai and attacked it with swords.

24When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword.

25The total of all who fell that day, including men and women, was 12,000—the entire population of Ai.

25And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai.

26Joshua did not cease his attack until he had completely destroyed every inhabitant of Ai.

26But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.

27Israel took only the livestock and the spoil of that city as their war booty, in accordance with what the LORD had commanded to Joshua.

27Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the LORD that he commanded Joshua.

28Joshua burned Ai, turning it into a permanent mound of ruins, and it remains so to this day.

28So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day.

29He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until dusk, and at sunset Joshua ordered his body brought down from the tree and laid at the entrance to the gate of the town. There he raised over it a large mound of stones, which stands there to this day.

29And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

30Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

30At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

31just the way Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelis in the Book of the Law of Moses: "…an altar of uncut stones that hasn't been worked with iron tools…" and they offered burnt offerings to the LORD on it, along with peace offerings.

31just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.

32There Joshua inscribed on stones a copy of the Law of Moses that Moses had presented to the Israelis.

32And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

33All Israel, both foreigners and citizens, together with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on opposite sides of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. Half stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half stood in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the LORD's servant had commanded at the first, so that they could bless the people of Israel.

33And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.

34Afterwards, Joshua read all the words of the Law—both the blessings and the curses—according to everything written in the Book of the Law.

34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

35There wasn't one word of everything Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read in front of the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, their little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.

35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.