Joshua 8 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Conquest of Ai

1 Now the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to Joshua ^H3091, “Do not fear ^H3372 or be dismayed ^H2865. Take ^H3947 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 of war ^H4421 with you. Arise ^H6965, go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Ai ^H5857; see ^H7200, I have handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to you the king ^H4428 of Ai ^H5857, his people ^H5971, his city ^H5892, and his land ^H776.

2 You shall do ^H6213 to Ai ^H5857 and its king ^H4428 just ^H834 as ^H834 you did ^H6213 to Jericho ^H3405 and its king ^H4428; you shall take ^H962 only ^H7534 its spoils ^H7998 and its cattle ^H929 as plunder ^H962 for yourselves. [fn]Set ^H7760 an ambush ^H693 for the city ^H5892 behind ^H4480 H310 it.”

3 So Joshua ^H3091 rose ^H6965 up ^H6965 with all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 of war ^H4421 to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Ai ^H5857; and Joshua ^H3091 chose ^H977 thirty ^H7970 thousand ^H505 men ^H376, valiant ^H2428 warriors ^H1368, and sent ^H7971 them out ^H7971 at night ^H3915. 4 He commanded ^H6680 them, saying ^H559, “See ^H7200, you are going to ambush ^H693 the city ^H5892 from behind ^H310 [fn]it. Do not go ^H7368 very ^H3966 far ^H7368 from the city ^H5892, but all ^H3605 of you be ready ^H3559. 5 Then I and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 are with me will approach ^H7126 the city ^H5892. And when ^H3588 they come ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 us as they did the first ^H7223 time, we will flee ^H5127 before ^H6440 them. 6 They will come ^H3318 out ^H3318 after ^H310 us until ^H5704 we have lured ^H5423 them away ^H5423 from the city ^H5892, for they will say ^H559, ‘They are fleeing ^H5127 before ^H6440 us just ^H834 as ^H834 they did the first ^H7223 time ^H7223.’ So we will flee ^H5127 before ^H6440 them. 7 Then you shall rise ^H6965 from your ambush ^H693 and take ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of the city ^H5892, for the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 will hand ^H3027 H5414 it over ^H5414 to you. 8 Then it will be when you have seized ^H8610 the city ^H5892, that you shall set ^H3341 the city ^H5892 on fire ^H784. You shall do ^H6213 it in accordance with the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068. See ^H7200, I have commanded ^H6680 you.” 9 So Joshua ^H3091 sent ^H7971 them away ^H7971, and they went ^H1980 to the place of ambush ^H3993 and remained ^H3427 between ^H996 Bethel ^H1008 and Ai ^H5857, on the west ^H3220 side ^H3220 of Ai ^H5857; but Joshua ^H3091 spent ^H3885 that night ^H3915 among ^H8432 the people ^H5971.

10 Now Joshua ^H3091 got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925 in the morning ^H1242 and mustered ^H6485 the people ^H5971, and he went ^H5927 up ^H5927 with the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478 before ^H6440 the people ^H5971 to Ai ^H5857. 11 Then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 of war ^H4421 who ^H834 were with him went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and approached ^H5066, and arrived ^H935 in front ^H5048 of the city ^H5892; and they camped ^H2583 on the north ^H6828 side ^H6828 of Ai ^H5857. And there was a valley ^H1516 between ^H996 him and Ai ^H5857. 12 Then he took ^H3947 about five ^H2568 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 and set ^H7760 them in ^H693 ambush ^H693 between ^H996 Bethel ^H1008 and Ai ^H5857, on the west ^H3220 side ^H3220 of the [fn]city ^H5892. 13 So they stationed ^H7760 the people ^H5971, all ^H3605 the army ^H4264 that was on the north ^H6828 side ^H6828 of the city ^H5892, and its rear ^H6119 guard ^H6119 on the west ^H3220 side ^H3220 of the city ^H5892, and Joshua ^H3091 spent ^H1980 that night ^H3915 in the midst ^H8432 of the valley ^H6010. 14 And it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when the king ^H4428 of Ai ^H5857 saw ^H7200 them, that the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 hurried ^H4116 and got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925, and went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 Israel ^H3478 in battle ^H4421, he and all ^H3605 his people ^H5971 at the appointed ^H4150 place ^H4150 before ^H6440 the desert ^H6160 plain ^H6160. But he did not know ^H3045 that there was an ambush ^H693 against him behind ^H4480 H310 the city ^H5892. 15 Then Joshua ^H3091 and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 [fn]pretended ^H5060 to ^H5060 be ^H5060 defeated ^H5060 before ^H6440 them, and fled ^H5127 by the way ^H1870 of the wilderness ^H4057. 16 And all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in the city ^H5892 were called ^H2199 together ^H2199 to pursue ^H7291 them, and they pursued ^H7291 Joshua ^H3091 and were lured ^H5423 away ^H5423 from the city ^H5892. 17 So not a man ^H376 was left ^H7604 in Ai ^H5857 or Bethel ^H1008, [fn]but they had all gone ^H3318 out ^H3318 after ^H310 Israel ^H3478, and they left ^H5800 the city ^H5892 [fn]unguarded ^H6605 and pursued ^H7291 Israel ^H3478.

18 Then the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to Joshua ^H3091, “Reach ^H5186 out ^H5186 with the sword ^H3591 that is in your hand ^H3027 toward ^H413 Ai ^H5857, for I will hand ^H5414 H3027 it over ^H5414 to you.” So Joshua ^H3091 reached ^H5186 out ^H5186 with the sword ^H3591 that was in his hand ^H3027 toward ^H413 the city ^H5892. 19 Then the men in ambush ^H693 rose ^H6965 quickly ^H4120 from their place ^H4725, and when he had reached ^H5186 out ^H5186 with his hand ^H3027, they ran ^H7323 and entered ^H935 the city ^H5892 and captured ^H3920 it, and they quickly ^H4116 set ^H3341 the city ^H5892 on fire ^H784. 20 When the men ^H376 of Ai ^H5857 turned ^H6437 [fn]back ^H310 and looked ^H7200, behold ^H2009, the smoke ^H6227 of the city ^H5892 ascended ^H5927 to the sky ^H8064, and they had ^H1961 no ^H3808 place ^H3027 to flee ^H5127 this ^H2008 way ^H2008 or that, for the people ^H5971 who had been fleeing ^H5127 to the wilderness ^H4057 turned ^H2015 against ^H413 the pursuers ^H7291. 21 When Joshua ^H3091 and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 saw ^H7200 that the men in ambush ^H693 had captured ^H3920 the city ^H5892 and that the smoke ^H6227 of the city ^H5892 ascended ^H5927, they turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 and [fn]killed ^H5221 the men ^H376 of Ai ^H5857. 22 [fn]The others ^H428 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the city ^H5892 to confront ^H7122 them, so that they were trapped in the midst ^H8432 of Israel ^H3478, [fn]some ^H428 on this ^H2088 side ^H2088 and some ^H428 on that side ^H2088; and they [fn]killed ^H5221 them until ^H5704 there was not one [fn]left ^H7604 who ^H8300 escaped ^H8300 or survived ^H6412. 23 But they captured ^H8610 the king ^H4428 of Ai ^H5857 alive ^H2416 and brought ^H7126 him to Joshua ^H3091.

24 Now when Israel ^H3478 had finished ^H3615 killing ^H2026 all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Ai ^H5857 in the field ^H7704 in the wilderness ^H4057 where ^H834 they pursued ^H7291 them, and all ^H3605 of them had fallen ^H5307 by the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719 until ^H5704 they were destroyed ^H8552, then all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 returned ^H7725 to Ai ^H5857 and struck ^H5221 it with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719. 25 So all ^H3605 who fell ^H5307 that day ^H3117, both ^H4480 men ^H376 and women ^H802, were twelve ^H8147 H6240 thousand ^H505—all ^H3605 the [fn]people ^H376 of Ai ^H5857. 26 For Joshua ^H3091 did not withdraw ^H7725 his hand ^H3027 with which ^H834 he reached ^H5186 out ^H5186 with the sword ^H3591 until ^H5704 he had [fn]utterly ^H2763 destroyed ^H2763 all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Ai ^H5857. 27 Israel ^H3478 took ^H962 only ^H7534 the cattle ^H929 and the spoils ^H7998 of that city ^H5892 as plunder ^H962 for themselves, in accordance with the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 which ^H834 He had commanded ^H6680 Joshua ^H3091. 28 So Joshua ^H3091 burned ^H8313 Ai ^H5857 and made ^H7760 it a refuse ^H8510 heap ^H8510 forever ^H5769, a desolation ^H8077 until ^H5704 this ^H2088 day ^H3117. 29 And he hanged ^H8518 the king ^H4428 of Ai ^H5857 on [fn]a tree ^H6086 until ^H5704 evening ^H6153; but at sunset ^H8121 H935 Joshua ^H3091 gave ^H6680 the command ^H6680 and they took ^H3381 his body ^H5038 down ^H3381 from [fn]the tree ^H6086 and threw ^H7993 it at the entrance ^H6607 of the city ^H5892 gate ^H8179, and erected ^H6965 over ^H5921 it a large ^H1419 heap ^H1530 of stones ^H68 that stands to this ^H2088 day ^H3117.

30 Then ^H227 Joshua ^H3091 built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 to the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, on Mount ^H2022 Ebal ^H5858, 31 just ^H834 as ^H834 Moses ^H4872 the servant ^H5650 of the LORD ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, as it is written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of the Law ^H8451 of Moses ^H4872, an altar ^H4196 of uncut ^H8003 stones ^H68 on which ^H834 no ^H3808 one had wielded ^H5130 an iron ^H1270 tool; and they offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 on it to the LORD ^H3068, and sacrificed ^H2076 peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002. 32 And he wrote ^H3789 there ^H8033 on the stones ^H68 a copy ^H4932 of the Law ^H8451 of Moses ^H4872, which ^H834 [fn]he had written ^H3789, in the presence ^H6440 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478. 33 And all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 with their elders ^H2205, officers ^H7860, and their judges ^H8199 were standing ^H5975 on both ^H4480 H2088 sides ^H4480 H2088 of the ark ^H727 before ^H5048 the Levitical ^H3881 priests ^H3548 who carried ^H5375 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of the LORD ^H3068, the stranger ^H1616 as well as the native ^H249. Half ^H2677 of them stood in front ^H4136 of Mount ^H2022 Gerizim ^H1630, and half ^H2677 of them in front ^H4136 of Mount ^H2022 Ebal ^H5858, just ^H834 as ^H834 Moses ^H4872 the servant ^H5650 of the LORD ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 at first ^H7223 to bless ^H1288 the people ^H5971 of Israel ^H3478. 34 Then afterward ^H310 H3651 he read ^H7121 all ^H3605 the words ^H1697 of the Law ^H8451, the blessing ^H1293 and the curse ^H7045, according to everything ^H3605 that is written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of the Law ^H8451. 35 There was not a word ^H1697 of all ^H3605 that Moses ^H4872 had commanded ^H6680 which ^H834 Joshua ^H3091 did not read ^H7121 before ^H5048 all ^H3605 the assembly ^H6951 of Israel ^H3478 with the women ^H802, the little ^H2945 ones ^H2945, and the strangers ^H1616 who were [fn]living ^H1980 among ^H7130 them.