Joshua 8:2-19
English Standard Version
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.
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.
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.
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.
7Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand.
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 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.
10Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to 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.
12He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
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.
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.
15And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.
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.
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 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.
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.
