1. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land.
2. Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king; you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
3. So Joshua and the whole military force set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 fighting men and sent them out at night.
4. He commanded them: “Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready.
5. Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
6. They will come after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us as before.’ While we are fleeing from them,
7. you are to come out of your ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God has handed it over to you.
8. After taking the city, set it on fire. Follow the Lord’s command — see that you do as I have ordered you.”
9. So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops.