Joshua, 8

1. 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:

1. Then Yahweh said to Joshua: "Do not fear or be discouraged. March with all your warriors against the city of Ai. I will give into your hands its king and its people, the city and its territory.

2. 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.

2. You shall deal with Ai as you have dealt with Jericho and its king. But you may take possession of the plunder and all the animals. So now, prepare an ambush behind the city."

3. 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.

3. So Joshua left with all his warriors and went up to Ai. Then he chose thirty thousand valiant warriors, and sent them out by night.

4. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

4. And he commanded them: "Lie in ambush behind the city. Do not go very far and be ready.

5. And I, and all the people that [are] with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

5. I and all the people who are with me shall close in on the city. But when they come out against us, as they did before, we shall flee from them.

6. (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

6. Then they shall pursue us and go out far from the city, thinking that we are fleeing from them as before.

7. Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

7. But then you shall rise from where you are hiding and occupy the city. Yahweh, our God, will give it to us.

8. And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, [that] ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

8. After taking the city, you shall burn it according to what Yahweh has commanded. These are my orders."

9. 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.

9. So Joshua sent them out and they went to the place of ambush, between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city, while Joshua slept that night in the midst of his people.

10. 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.

10. Very early in the morning, Joshua rose and mustered his army, and then marched at the head of the people, accompanied by the leaders.

11. 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.

11. All the warriors who were with him went up and marched until they reached the front of the city. Then they encamped opposite the northern side of the city. The valley separated them from the city.

12. 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.

12. (Then he took five thousand men whom he set in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.)

13. And when they had set the people, [even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

13. The people then set up their camp to the north of the city and their rearguard to the west. That night Joshua was in the valley.

14. 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 were] liers in ambush against him behind the city.

14. When the king of Ai saw the situation, he made haste with all his people to attack Israel on the slope opposite the valley of Jordan, without knowing that the Israelites had prepared an ambush behind the city.

15. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

15. Joshua and the Israelites pretended that they were being defeated, and so fled to the road leading to the wilderness.

16. 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.

16. Then all the people of the city began to shout and left to pursue them.

17. 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.

17. No one remained to defend the city, and they left the city open.

18. 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.

18. Then Yahweh said to Joshua: "Stretch out toward Ai the javelin you have in your hand because I have given you this city."

19. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

19. So Joshua did this, and at this sign the warriors rose out of their places in the ambush and ran to the city. They entered and seized the city, and set it on fire.

20. 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.

20. The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up to heaven, and at the same time, the Israelites who were fleeing turned back upon them.

21. 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.

21. They lost their courage as they were trapped by the Israelites:

22. And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

22. for on one side were Joshua and all the people of Israel, and on the other, those who had just set the city on fire. The Israelites killed them until none were left to survive or to escape.

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

23. Only the king of Ai was taken alive and they brought him to Joshua.

24. 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.

24. The Israelites killed the inhabitants of Ai who went into the fields or who fled to the wilderness; they killed them all. Then they returned to the city and killed all by the sword.

25. And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day, both of men and women, [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai.

25. The total of those who fell that day was twelve thousand.

26. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

26. Joshua did not give the order to stop the war until all the inhabitants of Ai had been killed in accordance with anathema.

27. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

27. But the Israelites took for themselves the livestock and plunder as Yahweh had commanded.

28. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, [even] a desolation unto this day.

28. Joshua burned the city and left it in ruins. That place has remained as it was to this day.

29. 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 heap of stones, [that remaineth] unto this day.

29. As for the king of Ai, Joshua had him hanged on a tree until the sun set. Then he had his body taken down; they cast it at the entrance of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones which can be seen to this day.

30. Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

30. Joshua then built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.

31. As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up [any] iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

31. He fulfilled what Moses had commanded the children of Israel. And according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, the altar was made of uncut stones and was built without the use of an iron tool. On this altar, he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to Yahweh.

32. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

32. There in the presence of the Israelites he wrote upon the stones a copy of the Law which Moses had written.

33. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

33. All the people stood on both sides of the Ark, with their leaders, secretaries and judges. Opposite it were the priests and the Levites who carried the Ark of Yahweh. Israelites by birth and aliens were together. Half the people were in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half were near Mount Ebal according to Moses' commandment for the blessing of Israel.

34. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

34. Joshua proceeded to read the words of blessing and curse, and all that is written in the book of the Law.

35. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

35. He did not omit any word from all that was written by Moses. He read it with a loud voice before the assembly of all Israel, including women, children and foreigners who lived among them.