Joshua Chapter 8

1 when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

2 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

3 And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel; and they laid them down before Jehovah.

4 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor.

5 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.

6 And they raised over him a great heap of stones, unto this day; and Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

7 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land;

8 and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: set thee an ambush for the city behind it.

9 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night.

10 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

11 and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them;

12 and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: so we will flee before them;

13 and ye shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.

14 And it shall be, when ye have seized upon the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do: see, I have commanded you.

15 And Joshua sent them forth; and they went to the ambushment, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

16 And Joshua arose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

17 And all the people,

18 even the

19 men of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between him and Ai.

20 And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

21 So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers-in-wait that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

22 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

23 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

24 And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

25 And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

26 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

27 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and set the city on fire.

28 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

29 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

30 And the others came forth out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

31 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

32 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

33 And all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

34 For Joshua drew not back his hand, wherewith he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

35 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey unto themselves, according unto the word of Jehovah which he commanded Joshua.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed. Take with thee all the people of war, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.

2 And thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.

3 And Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them away by night.

4 And he commanded them, saying, See, ye shall be in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, and be all of you ready.

5 And I and all the people that are with me will approach to the city; and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

6 And they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first; and we will flee before them.

7 And ye shall rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city; and Jehovah yourGod will deliver it into your hand.

8 And it shall be when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

9 And Joshua sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai. And Joshua lodged that night among the people.

10 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and inspected the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11 And all the people of war that were with him went up, and drew near, and came before the city; and they encamped on the north of Ai; and the valley was between them and Ai.

12 Now he had taken about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city.

13 And when they had set the people, the whole camp on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

14 And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hasted and rose early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain. But he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15 And Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.

16 And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17 And not a man remained in Ai and Bethel that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that he had in his hand toward the city.

19 And the ambush arose quickly from their place, and they ran when he stretched out his hand, and came into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

20 And the men of Ai turned and saw, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned upon the pursuers.

21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

22 And the others went out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and they smote them, until they let none of them escape or flee away.

23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24 And it came to pass when Israel had ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had chased them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

25 And so it was, that all who fell that day, men as well as women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.

26 And Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out with the javelin, until they had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Only, the cattle and the spoil of the city Israel took as prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he had commanded Joshua.

28 And Joshua burned Ai, and made it an everlasting heap of desolation to this day.

29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his carcase down from the tree, and threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised upon it a great heap of stones, [which remains] to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to Jehovah theGod of Israel, in mount Ebal,

31 as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which iron had not been lifted up. And they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.

32 And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written before the children of Israel.

33 And all Israel, and their elders, and their officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born [Israelite]; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel, in the beginning.

34 And afterwards he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua read not before the whole congregation of Israel, and the women, and the children, and the strangers that lived among them.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not, nor be timorous: take with thee all the men of war, and arise, go up to Gai; behold, I have given into thy hands the king of Gai, and his land.

2 And thou shalt do to Gai, as thou didst to Jericho and its king; and thou shalt take to thyself the spoil of its cattle; set now for thyself an ambush for the city behind.

3 And Joshua and all the men of war rose to go up to Gai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men, and he sent them away by night.

4 And he charged them, saying, Do ye lie in ambush behind the city: do not go far from the city, and ye shall all be ready.

5 And I and all with me will draw near to the city: and it shall come to pass when the inhabitants of Gai shall come forth to meet us, as before, that we will flee from before them.

6 And when they shall come out after us, we will draw them away from the city; and they will say, These men flee from before us, as also before.

7 And ye shall rise up out of the ambuscade, and go into the city.

8 Ye shall do according to this word, lo! I have commanded you.

9 And Joshua sent them, and they went to lie in ambush; and they lay between Bæthel and Gai, westward of Gai.

10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people; and he went up, he and the elders before the people to Gai.

11 And all the men of war went up with him, and they went forward and came over against the city eastward.

12 And the ambuscade [was] on the west side of the city.

14 And it came to pass when the king of Gai saw [it], he hasted and went out to meet them direct to the battle, he and all the people [that were] with him: and he knew not that there was an ambuscade [formed] against him behind the city.

15 And Joshua and Israel saw, and retreated from before them.

16 And they pursued after the children of Israel, and they themselves went to a distance from the city.

17 There was no one left in Gai who did not pursue after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18 And the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch forth thy hand with the spear that is in thy hand toward the city, for I have delivered it into thy hands; and the liers in wait shall rise up quickly out of their place.

19 And Joshua stretched out his hand [and] his spear toward the city, and the ambuscade rose up quickly out of their place; and they came forth when he stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and burnt the city with fire.

20 And when the inhabitants of Gai looked round behind them, then they saw the smoke going up out of the city to heaven, and they were no longer able to flee this way or that way.

21 And Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambuscade had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they turned and smote the men of Gai.

22 And these came forth out of the city to meet them; and they were in the midst of the army, some [being] on this side, and some on that; and they smote them until there was not left of them one who survived and escaped.

23 And they took the king of Gai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24 And when the children of Israel had ceased slaying all that were in Gai, and in the fields, and in the mountain on the descent, from whence they pursued them [even] to the end, then Joshua returned to Gai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

25 And they that fell in that day, men and women, were twelve thousand: [they slew] all the inhabitants of Gai.

27 Beside the spoils that were in the city, all things which the children of Israel took as spoil for themselves according to the command of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Joshua.

28 And Joshua burnt the city with fire: he made it an uninhabited heap for ever, [even] to this day.

29 And he hanged the king of Gai on a gallows; and he remained on the tree till evening: and when the sun went down, Joshua gave charge, and they took down his body from the tree, and cast it into a pit, and they set over him a heap of stones until this day.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Dixit autem Dominus ad Iosue: Ne timeas, neque formides: tolle tecum omnem multitudinem pugnatorum, et consurgens ascende in oppidum Hai. ecce tradidi in manu tua regem eius, et populum, urbemque et terram.

2 Faciesque urbi Hai, et regi eius, sicut fecisti Iericho, et regi illius: prædam vero, et omnia animantia diripietis vobis: pone insidias urbi post eam.

3 Surrexitque Iosue, et omnis exercitus bellatorum cum eo, ut ascenderent in Hai: et electa triginta millia virorum fortium misit nocte,

4 præcepitque eis, dicens: Ponite insidias post civitatem, nec longius recedatis: et eritis omnes parati.

5 ego autem, et reliqua multitudo, quæ mecum est, accedemus ex adverso contra urbem. Cumque exierint contra nos, sicut ante fecimus, fugiemus, et terga vertemus:

6 donec persequentes ab urbe longius protrahantur: putabunt enim nos fugere sicut prius.

7 Nobis ergo fugientibus, et illis persequentibus, consurgetis de insidiis, et vastabitis civitatem: tradetque eam Dominus Deus vester in manus vestras.

8 Cumque ceperitis, succendite eam, et sic omnia facietis, ut iussi.

9 Dimisitque eos, et perrexerunt ad locum insidiarum, sederuntque inter Bethel, et Hai, ad Occidentalem plagam urbis Hai: Iosue autem nocte illa in medio mansit populi,

10 surgensque diluculo recensuit socios, et ascendit cum senioribus in fronte exercitus, vallatus auxilio pugnatorum.

11 Cumque venissent, et ascendissent ex adverso civitatis, steterunt ad Septentrionalem urbis plagam, inter quam et eos erat vallis media.

12 Quinque autem millia viros elegerat, et posuerat in insidiis inter Bethel et Hai ex occidentali parte eiusdem civitatis:

13 omnis vero reliquus exercitus ad aquilonem aciem dirigebat, ita ut novissimi illius multitudinis Occidentalem plagam urbis attingerent. Abiit ergo Iosue nocte illa, et stetit in vallis medio.

14 Quod cum vidisset rex Hai, festinavit mane, et egressus est cum omni exercitu civitatis, direxitque aciem contra desertum, ignorans quod post tergum laterent insidiæ.

15 Iosue vero, et omnis Israel cesserunt loco, simulantes metum, et fugientes per solitudinis viam.

16 At illi vociferantes pariter, et se mutuo cohortantes, persecuti sunt eos. Cumque recessissent a civitate,

17 et ne unus quidem in urbe Hai et Bethel remansisset qui non persequeretur Israel (sicut eruperant aperta oppida relinquentes,)

18 dixit Dominus ad Iosue: Leva clypeum, qui in manu tua est, contra urbem Hai, quoniam tibi tradam eam.

19 Cumque elevasset clypeum ex adverso civitatis, insidiæ, quæ latebant, surrexerunt confestim: et pergentes ad civitatem, ceperunt, et succenderunt eam.

20 Viri autem civitatis, qui persequebantur Iosue, respicientes et videntes fumum urbis ad cælum usque conscendere, non potuerunt ultra huc illucque diffugere: præsertim cum hi, qui simulaverant fugam, et tendebant ad solitudinem, contra persequentes fortissime restitissent.

21 Vidensque Iosue et omnis Israel quod capta esset civitas, et fumus urbis ascenderet, reversus percussit viros Hai.

22 Siquidem et illi qui ceperant et succenderant civitatem, egressi ex urbe contra suos, medios hostium ferire cœperunt. Cum ergo ex utraque parte adversarii cæderentur, ita ut nullus de tanta multitudine salvaretur,

23 regem quoque urbis Hai apprehenderunt viventem, et obtulerunt Iosue.

24 Igitur omnibus interfectis, qui Israelem ad deserta tendentem fuerant persecuti, et in eodem loco gladio corruentibus, reversi filii Israel percusserunt civitatem.

25 Erant autem qui in eodem die conciderant a viro usque ad mulierem, duodecim millia hominum, omnes urbis Hai.

26 Iosue vero non contraxit manum, quam in sublime porrexerat, tenens clypeum donec interficerentur omnes habitatores Hai.

27 Iumenta autem et prædam civitatis diviserunt sibi filii Israel, sicut præceperat Dominus Iosue.

28 Qui succendit urbem, et fecit eam tumulum sempiternum:

29 regem quoque eius suspendit in patibulo usque ad vesperam et solis occasum. Præcepitque Iosue, et deposuerunt cadaver eius de cruce: proieceruntque in ipso introitu civitatis, congesto super eum magno acervo lapidum, qui permanet usque in præsentem diem.

30 Tunc ædificavit Iosue altare Domino Deo Israel in monte Hebal:

31 sicut præceperat Moyses famulus Domini filiis Israel, et scriptum est in volumine legis Moysi: Altare vero de lapidibus impolitis, quos ferrum non tetigit: et obtulit super eo holocausta Domino, immolavitque pacificas victimas.

32 Et scripsit super lapides Deuteronomium legis Moysi, quod ille digesserat coram filiis Israel.

33 Omnis autem populus, et maiores natu, ducesque ac iudices stabant ex utraque parte arcæ, in conspectu sacerdotum qui portabant arcam fœderis Domini, ut advena ita et indigena. Media pars eorum iuxta montem Garizim, et media iuxta montem Hebal, sicut præceperat Moyses famulus Domini. Et primum quidem benedixit populo Israel.

34 Post hæc legit omnia verba benedictionis et maledictionis, et cuncta quæ scripta erant in legis volumine.

35 Nihil ex his, quæ Moyses iusserat, reliquit intactum, sed universa replicavit coram omni multitudine Israel, mulieribus ac parvulis et advenis, qui inter eos morabantur.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land.

2 You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3 So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.

4 He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

5 I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

6 They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them,

7 and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8 It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the LORD’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.”

9 Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.

10 Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11 All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.

12 He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13 So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15 Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16 All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

18 The LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

19 The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire.

20 When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back and killed the men of Ai.

22 The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

23 They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

25 All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai.

26 For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to the LORD’s word which he commanded Joshua.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.

29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

31 as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.

32 He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

33 All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the LORD’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

34 Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, `Fear not, nor be affrighted, take with thee all the people of war, and rise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land,

2 and thou hast done to Ai and to her king as thou hast done to Jericho and to her king; only, its spoil and its cattle ye spoil for yourselves; set for thee an ambush for the city at its rear.'

3 And Joshua riseth, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai, and Joshua chooseth thirty thousand men, mighty ones of valour, and sendeth them away by night,

4 and commandeth them, saying, `See, ye are liers in wait against the city, at the rear of the city, ye go not very far off from the city, and all of you have been prepared,

5 and I and all the people who <FI>are<Fi> with me draw near unto the city, and it hath come to pass when they come out to meet us as at the first, and we have fled before them,

6 and they have come out after us till we have drawn them out of the city, for they say, They are fleeing before us as at the first, and we have fled before them,

7 and ye rise from the ambush, and have occupied the city, and Jehovah your God hath given it into your hand;

8 and it hath been, when ye capture the city, ye burn the city with fire, according to the word of Jehovah ye do, see, I have commanded you.'

9 And Joshua sendeth them away, and they go unto the ambush, and abide between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai; and Joshua lodgeth on that night in the midst of the people.

10 And Joshua riseth early in the morning, and inspecteth the people, and goeth up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai;

11 and all the people of war who <FI>are<Fi> with him have gone up, and draw nigh and come in over-against the city, and encamp on the north of Ai; and the valley <FI>is<Fi> between him and Ai.

12 And he taketh about five thousand men, and setteth them an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city;

13 and they set the people, all the camp which <FI>is<Fi> on the north of the city, and its rear on the west of the city, and Joshua goeth on that night into the midst of the valley.

14 And it cometh to pass, when the king of Ai seeth <FI>it<Fi> , that hasten, and rise early, and go out do the men of the city to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at the appointed season, at the front of the plain, and he hath not known that an ambush <FI>is<Fi> against him, on the rear of the city.

15 And Joshua and all Israel <FI>seem<Fi> stricken before them, and flee the way of the wilderness,

16 and all the people who <FI>are<Fi> in the city are called to pursue after them, and they pursue after Joshua, and are drawn away out of the city,

17 and there hath not been left a man in Ai and Bethel who hath not gone out after Israel, and they leave the city open, and pursue after Israel.

18 And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, `Stretch out with the javelin which <FI>is<Fi> in thy hand towards Ai, for into thy hand I give it;' and Joshua stretcheth out with the javelin which <FI>is<Fi> in his hand toward the city,

19 and the ambush hath risen <FI>with<Fi> haste, out of its place, and they run at the stretching out of his hand, and go into the city, and capture it, and hasten, and burn the city with fire.

20 And the men of Ai look behind them, and see, and lo, the smoke of the city hath gone up unto the heavens, and there hath not been in them power to flee hither and thither--and the people who are fleeing to the wilderness have turned against the pursuer, --

21 and Joshua and all Israel have seen that the ambush hath captured the city, and that the smoke of the city hath gone up, and they turn back and smite the men of Ai;

22 and these have come out from the city to meet them, and they are in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that, and they smite them till he hath not left to them a remnant and escaped one;

23 and the king of Ai they caught alive, and bring him near unto Joshua.

24 And it cometh to pass, at Israel's finishing to slay all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them (and they fall all of them by the mouth of the sword till their consumption), that all Israel turn back to Ai, and smite it by the mouth of the sword;

25 and all who fall during the day, of men and of women, are twelve thousand--all men of Ai.

26 And Joshua hath not brought back his hand which he stretched out with the javelin till that he hath devoted all the inhabitants of Ai;

27 only, the cattle and the spoil of that city have Israel spoiled for themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which He commanded Joshua.

28 And Joshua burneth Ai, and maketh it a heap age-during--a desolation unto this day;

29 and the king of Ai he hath hanged on the tree till even-time, and at the going in of the sun hath Joshua commanded, and they take down his carcase from the tree, and cast it unto the opening of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones till this day.

30 Then doth Joshua build an altar to Jehovah, God of Israel, in mount Ebal,

31 as Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses--an altar of whole stones, over which he hath not waved iron--and they cause to go up upon it burnt-offerings to Jehovah, and sacrifice peace-offerings;

32 and he writeth there on the stones the copy of the law of Moses, which he hath written in the presence of the sons of Israel.

33 And all Israel, and its elders, and authorities, and its judges, are standing on this side and on that of the ark, over-against the priests, the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the sojourner as the native, half of them over-against mount Gerizim, and the half of them over-against mount Ebal, as Moses servant of Jehovah commanded to bless the people of Israel at the first.

34 And afterwards he hath proclaimed all the words of the law, the blessing and the reviling, according to all that is written in the book of the law;

35 there hath not been a thing of all that Moses commanded which Joshua hath not proclaimed before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the infants, and the sojourner who is going in their midst.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).