4. He commanded them, "Look. You are to ambush the city from behind. Don’t move too far away from the city. Be ready, all of you.
5. I will approach the city with all the people. When they come out against us the same way as before, we will flee from them.
6. They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city. They will think, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee from them.
7. But you will rise up from the ambush and take over the city. The Lord your God will give it into your power.
8. As soon as you seize the city, set it on fire. Act according to the Lord’s word. Indeed, I have given you an order!"
9. Joshua sent them off, and they went to set the ambush. They stayed between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. Joshua spent that night among the people.
10. Joshua got up early in the morning and mustered the people. Then he and the elders of Israel went up in front of the people to Ai.
11. The entire army that was with him went up. They moved in close, in front of the city. Then they camped north of Ai, with the valley between them and Ai.
12. He took about five thousand men and positioned them as an ambush between Bethel and Ai to the west of the city.
13. The people positioned the main camp on the north side of the city and its rear guard on its west side. That night, Joshua went into the middle of the valley.
14. As soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his troops, the men of the city, hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle. They moved out to the battleground on the slopes down toward the Jordan. He didn’t know that there was an ambush set against him behind the city.
15. Then Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them. They fled in the direction of the desert.
16. Next, all the troops who were still in the city were called out to chase them. They chased after Joshua and so let themselves be drawn away from the city.
17. No one who hadn’t gone out after Israel was left in either Ai or Bethel. They left the city wide open and chased after Israel.
18. The Lord said to Joshua, "Point the dagger in your hand toward Ai, because I will give it into your power." So Joshua pointed the dagger in his hand toward the city.
19. The ambush quickly rose from its place. As soon as he reached out his hand, it charged. They entered the city and captured it. They set the city on fire at once.
20. Then the men of Ai turned around. They caught sight of the smoke of the city rising toward the sky. They had no chance to flee one way or the other. The troops who were fleeing toward the desert turned against the pursuit.