ai And Joshua sent men from Jericho to {Ai}, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. ai And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed {Ai}. ai And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite {Ai}; [and] make not all the people to labour thither; for they [are but] few. ai So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of {Ai}. ai And the men of {Ai} smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. ai And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of {Ai}, and his people, and his city, and his land: ai And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to {Ai}: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: ai And thou shalt do to {Ai} and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. ai So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against {Ai}: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. ai Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of {Ai}: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. ai Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and {Ai}, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. ai And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to {Ai}. ai And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now [there was] a valley between them and {Ai}. ai And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of {Ai}: now [there was] a valley between them and Ai. ai And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and {Ai}, on the west side of the city. ai And it came to pass, when the king of {Ai} saw [it], that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that [there wer e] liers in ambush against him behind the city. ai And 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. ai And there was not a man left in {Ai} or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. ai And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that [is] in thy hand toward {Ai}; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that [he had] in his hand toward the city. ai And when the men of {Ai} looked behind them, 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 fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. ai And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of {Ai}. ai And the king of {Ai} they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. ai And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of {Ai} in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. ai And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Is raelites returned unto {Ai}, and smote it with the edge of the sword. ai And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day, both of men and women, [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of {Ai}. ai For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of {Ai}. ai And Joshua burnt {Ai}, and made it an heap for ever, [even] a desolation unto this day. ai And the king of {Ai} he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great h eap of stones, [that remaineth] unto this day. ai And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to {Ai}, ai Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to {Ai} and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made p eace with Israel, and were among them; ai Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken {Ai}, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made p eace with Israel, and were among them; ai That they feared greatly, because Gibeon [was] a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it [was] greater than {Ai}, and all the men thereof [were] mighty. ai The king of Jericho, one; the king of {Ai}, which [is] beside Bethel, one; ai The men of Bethel and {Ai}, two hundred twenty and three. ai The men of Bethel and {Ai}, an hundred twenty and three. ai Howl, O Heshbon, for {Ai} is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, [and] his priests and his princes together. ~~~~~~