1. Then Adonai said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land into your hand.
2. Then you will do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king—except you will take its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”
3. So Joshua and all the people of war arose to go up to Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them at night.
4. He commanded them saying: “Look, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Don’t go too far from the city, but all of you be ready.
5. Then I and all the troops with me will approach the city. Then it will be when they come out against us, like the first time, that we will flee before them.
6. So they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will think, ‘They are fleeing before us like the first time.’ While we are fleeing before them,
7. you will rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city, for Adonai your God will give it into your hand.
8. Now when you have seized the city, you will set the city on fire—according to the word of Adonai you must do. See that you do as I have ordered you.”
9. So Joshua sent them off, and they went to the ambush site, taking position between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
10. Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people. He and the elders of Israel marched before the people to Ai.
11. All the people of war with him went up, advanced, and came in front of the city. They camped to the north of Ai, with a valley between him and Ai.
12. But he had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
13. So they stationed the people, the main army that was to the north of the city, and its rear guard to the west of the city. Then Joshua walked that night in the midst of the valley.
14. So it came to pass when the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurried and rose up early, and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place facing the Arabah. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15. So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16. Then all the people who were in Ai were summoned to pursue them, so they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, so they left the city open as they chased after Israel.