Joshua 8

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:

The Lord comforted Joshua, "Don't be scared or discouraged. Gather your warriors and march towards Ai. Trust me, I've already handed over the king, his people, his city, and his land to you."

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.

Treat Ai and its king just as you did with Jericho and its king. But this time, you can keep the city's riches and livestock. Set a trap for the city from behind.

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.

With a determined heart, Joshua stood up, rallying his warriors to march against Ai. He handpicked thirty thousand brave and strong men, sending them under the cloak of night.

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:

He instructed them firmly, "Stay hidden, ready to ambush the city from behind. Don't stray too far, but be prepared at all times."

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,

My companions and I will march towards the city. When they confront us, just like the first time, we will retreat in their presence.

(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.

They'll chase us, thinking we're running scared just like before. So, we'll pretend to flee, luring them away from the city.

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

When the time comes, rise from your hiding, take the city with courage. For God, your protector, promises its surrender to you.

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.

Once you've captured the city, you must set it ablaze. Do as the Lord has commanded. Remember, these are my orders to you.

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.

Joshua bravely sent them on their mission, to secretly hide between Bethel and Ai, west of Ai. That night, Joshua stayed, sharing warmth and camaraderie with his people.

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.

Joshua woke up at dawn, counted his people, and led the elders of Israel to Ai, filled with determination and a sense of responsibility.

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.

Everyone, including the warriors, advanced towards the city. They set up camp to the north of Ai, with a valley lying between them and the city.

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.

He strategically positioned five thousand brave men in a hidden ambush, nestled between Bethel and Ai, on the city's western flank.

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.

As the people and their entire army were positioned to the north of the city, with their ambush set to the west, Joshua bravely ventured into the heart of the valley under the cover of darkness.

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.

When the king of Ai noticed, he and his people quickly prepared for battle against Israel. They were unaware of the hidden ambush waiting for them behind the city.

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

Joshua and the entire nation of Israel pretended to be defeated, retreating into the wilderness with apparent fear and despair.

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.

Every single person in Ai was rallied to chase them. They hotly pursued Joshua, their city left behind, abandoned in the heat of the pursuit.

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.

Every single man from Ai and Bethel, driven by their emotions, abandoned their cities to chase after Israel. They left their homes vulnerable, their hearts filled with the pursuit of Israel.

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.

The LORD gently instructed Joshua, "Extend your spear towards Ai, I promise it's yours to conquer." With faith, Joshua pointed his spear towards the city.

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.

The attackers sprang from their hiding, racing forward the moment he signaled. They seized the city in a swift, fiery takeover, setting it ablaze in their haste.

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.

As the men of Ai glanced back, they were met with the sight of their city's smoke spiraling towards the heavens. A sense of helplessness washed over them, realizing they had nowhere to escape. Meanwhile, those who had run to the wilderness found courage, turning back to face their pursuers.

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.

When Joshua and the rest of Israel saw their plan had succeeded and the city was captured, marked by the rising smoke, they felt a surge of victory. They then turned back and defeated the men of Ai.

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.

The Israelites who had taken the city came out against them too, so the men of Ai were trapped between Israel's forces, some on this side and some on that. Israel struck them down, ensuring no one was left standing or could flee.

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

They captured the king of Ai alive, and presented him before Joshua, filled with a mix of triumph and trepidation.

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.

After Israel had finished defeating all of Ai's people in the open fields, chasing them into the wilderness, and seeing them fall by the sword until none were left, the Israelites returned to Ai. They struck it down with the same sword, their hearts heavy but resolute.

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

Thus, on that fateful day, a heartbreaking total of twelve thousand souls, both men and women from Ai, tragically lost their lives.

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

Joshua, with unwavering resolve, kept his spear stretched out until every last person in Ai had been utterly destroyed.

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.

Israel, following God's command to Joshua, only claimed the livestock and the city's spoils as their own.

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

Joshua, filled with determination, set Ai ablaze, reducing it to a perpetual mound of ruins, a desolate place that remains so even today.

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.

The king of Ai was hung on a tree until dusk. As the sun set, Joshua ordered his lifeless body to be removed from the tree. They placed it at the city gate and piled a mound of stones over it, a monument that still stands today.

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

With a heart full of reverence, Joshua constructed a sacred altar on Mount Ebal, dedicating it to the Lord God of Israel.

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.

As instructed by Moses, God's faithful servant, the Israelites built an altar from untouched stones, just as it was detailed in Moses' law book. On this pure altar, they devotedly presented their burnt offerings to the Lord and made sacrifices to symbolize peace.

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.

He etched Moses' laws onto stone, under the watchful eyes of Israel's children.

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.

Every single person in Israel, including their elders, officials, and judges, stood on either side of the ark, held by the Levite priests. This included both newcomers and those born in Israel. They were divided equally between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, as Moses had instructed, to bless the people of Israel.

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.

Then, he passionately recited every law, every blessing, every curse, just as they were penned in the sacred law book.

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.

Joshua didn't miss a single commandment given by Moses; he shared them all with everyone in Israel - men, women, children, and even the newcomers among them.