14. And it came to be, when the sovereign of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hastened and rose up early and went out against Yisra’ĕl to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15. And Yehoshua and all Yisra’ĕl let themselves be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16. And all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Yehoshua and were drawn away from the city.
17. So there was not a man left in Ai or Bĕyth Ěl who did not go out after Yisra’ĕl, and they left the city open and pursued Yisra’ĕl.
18. And יהוה said to Yehoshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I give it into your hand.” And Yehoshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city,
19. and the ambush rose up quickly from their place, and they ran at the stretching out of his hand, and entered the city and took it, and hastened to burn the city with fire.
20. And the men of Ai looked behind them and saw the smoke of the city rising to the heavens. And there was no power in them to flee this way or that way, for the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
21. For when Yehoshua and all Yisra’ĕl saw that the ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned back and smote the men of Ai.
22. The others also came out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Yisra’ĕl, some on this side and some on that side. And they smote them until none were left, and none had escaped.
23. But the sovereign of Ai they caught alive, and brought him to Yehoshua.
24. And it came to be, when Yisra’ĕl ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Yisra’ĕlites returned to Ai and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25. And it came to be that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand – all men of Ai.
26. And Yehoshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had put all the inhabitants of Ai under the ban.
27. Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Yisra’ĕl took as booty for themselves, according to the word of יהוה which He had commanded Yehoshua.