26AND THEY SET UP OVER HIM A HEAP OF STONES GREAT UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS AND HE TURNED BACK YAHWEH FROM [THE] BURNING OF ANGER HIS THERE- -FORE SOMEONE CALLED [THE] NAME OF THE PLACE <THE> THAT [THE] VALLEY OF ACHOR UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS 26And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor*NoteCloseAchor means trouble. to this day.
1AND HE SAID YAHWEH TO JOSHUA MAY NOT YOU FEAR AND MAY NOT YOU BE DISMAYED TAKE WITH YOU <OBJ.> ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF <THE> WAR AND ARISE GO UP <THE> AI SEE I HAVE GIVEN IN HAND YOUR <OBJ.> [THE] KING OF <THE> AI AND <OBJ.> PEOPLE HIS AND <OBJ.> CITY HIS AND <OBJ.> LAND HIS The Conquest of Ai 1Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
2AND YOU WILL DO TO <THE> AI AND TO KING ITS JUST AS YOU DID TO JERICHO AND TO KING ITS ONLY BOOTY ITS AND LIVESTOCK ITS YOU WILL PLUNDER FOR <THE> YOURSELVES SET FOR <THE> YOURSELF AN AMBUSH FOR THE CITY <FROM> BEHIND IT 2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
3AND HE AROSE JOSHUA AND ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF <THE> WAR TO GO UP <THE> AI AND HE CHOSE JOSHUA THIRTY THOUSAND MAN [THE] MIGHTY [MEN] OF <THE> STRENGTH AND HE SENT OUT THEM NIGHT 3So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000. mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
4AND HE COMMANDED <OBJ.> THEM <TO> SAYING SEE YOU [ARE] LYING IN WAIT FOR THE CITY <FROM> BEHIND THE CITY MAY NOT YOU GO FAR AWAY FROM THE CITY VERY AND YOU WILL BE ALL OF YOU PREPARED 4with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
5AND I AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH [IS] WITH ME WE WILL DRAW NEAR TO THE CITY AND IT WILL BE THAT THEY WILL COME OUT TO MEET US JUST AS AT THE FIRST [TIME] AND WE WILL FLEE <TO> BEFORE THEM 5Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
6AND THEY WILL COME OUT AFTER US UNTIL HAVE DRAWN OUT WE <OBJ.> THEM FROM THE CITY FOR THEY WILL SAY [THEY ARE] FLEEING <TO> BEFORE US JUST AS AT THE FIRST [TIME] AND WE WILL FLEE <TO> BEFORE THEM 6They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before So as we flee from them,
7AND YOU YOU WILL ARISE FROM THE AMBUSH AND YOU WILL TAKE POSSESSION OF <OBJ.> THE CITY AND HE WILL GIVE IT YAHWEH GOD YOUR IN HAND YOUR 7you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8AND IT WILL BE WHEN HAVE CAPTURED YOU <OBJ.> THE CITY YOU WILL SET ON FIRE <OBJ.> THE CITY WITH <THE> FIRE ACCORDING TO [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH YOU WILL DO SEE I HAVE COMMANDED <OBJ.> YOU 8And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders
9AND HE SENT OUT THEM JOSHUA AND THEY WENT TO THE AMBUSH AND THEY REMAINED BETWEEN BETH- -EL AND BETWEEN <THE> AI FROM [THE] WEST OF <THE> AI AND HE STAYED JOSHUA IN THE NIGHT <THE> THAT IN AMONG THE PEOPLE 9So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
10AND HE ROSE EARLY JOSHUA IN THE MORNING AND HE MUSTERED <OBJ.> THE PEOPLE AND HE WENT UP HE AND [THE] ELDERS OF ISRAEL <TO> BEFORE THE PEOPLE <THE> AI 10Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.
11AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF <THE> WAR WHICH [WAS] WITH HIM THEY WENT UP AND THEY APPROACHED AND THEY CAME BEFORE THE CITY AND THEY ENCAMPED FROM [THE] NORTH OF <TO> AI AND THE VALLEY [WAS] BETWEEN IT AND BETWEEN <THE> AI 11Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
12AND HE TOOK ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND<S> MAN AND HE SET <OBJ.> THEM AN AMBUSH BETWEEN BETH- -EL AND BETWEEN <THE> AI FROM [THE] WEST OF THE CITY 12Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
13AND THEY SET THE PEOPLE <OBJ.> ALL THE CAMP WHICH [WAS] FROM [THE] NORTH OF THE CITY AND <OBJ.> REARGUARD ITS FROM [THE] WEST OF THE CITY AND HE WENT JOSHUA IN THE NIGHT <THE> THAT IN [THE] MIDDLE OF THE VALLEY 13So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
14AND IT WAS WHEN SAW [THE] KING OF <THE> AI AND THEY HURRIED AND THEY ROSE EARLY AND THEY WENT OUT [THE] MEN OF THE CITY TO MEET ISRAEL FOR <THE> BATTLE HE AND ALL PEOPLE HIS TO THE APPOINTED PLACE <TO> BEFORE THE ARABAH AND HE NOT HE KNEW THAT AN AMBUSH FOR <THE> HIM [WAS] <FROM> BEHIND THE CITY 14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
15AND THEY WERE STRUCK JOSHUA AND ALL ISRAEL <TO> BEFORE THEM AND THEY FLED [THE] DIRECTION OF THE WILDERNESS 15Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
16AND THEY WERE CALLED TOGETHER ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH [WAS] IN <THE> AI TO PURSUE AFTER THEM AND THEY PURSUED AFTER JOSHUA AND THEY WERE DRAWN OUT FROM THE CITY 16Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17AND NOT HE REMAINED ANYONE IN <THE> AI AND BETH- -EL WHO NOT THEY WENT OUT AFTER ISRAEL AND THEY LEFT <OBJ.> THE CITY OPEN AND THEY PURSUED AFTER ISRAEL 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
18AND HE SAID YAHWEH TO JOSHUA STRETCH OUT WITH THE JAVELIN WHICH [IS] IN HAND YOUR TO <THE> AI FOR IN HAND YOUR I WILL GIVE IT AND HE STRETCHED OUT JOSHUA WITH THE JAVELIN WHICH [WAS] IN HAND HIS TO THE CITY 18Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance*NoteCloseOr javelin; twice in this verse, and also in verse 26 toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,
19AND THE AMBUSH IT AROSE QUICKLY FROM PLACE ITS AND THEY RAN WHEN STRETCHED OUT HAND HIS AND THEY WENT THE CITY AND THEY CAPTURED IT AND THEY HURRIED AND THEY SET ON FIRE <OBJ.> THE CITY WITH <THE> FIRE 19and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
20AND THEY TURNED [THE] MEN OF <THE> AI BEHIND THEM AND THEY SAW AND THERE! IT WENT UP [THE] SMOKE OF THE CITY THE HEAVENS TOWARDS AND NOT IT WAS IN <THE> THEM HANDS TO FLEE HITHER AND HITHER AND THE PEOPLE WHICH WAS FLEEING THE WILDERNESS IT TURNED BACK AGAINST THE PURSUER 20When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.
21AND JOSHUA AND ALL ISRAEL THEY SAW THAT IT HAD CAPTURED THE AMBUSH <OBJ.> THE CITY AND THAT IT WENT UP [THE] SMOKE OF THE CITY AND THEY TURNED BACK AND THEY ATTACKED <OBJ.> [THE] MEN OF <THE> AI 21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.
22AND THESE [MEN] THEY CAME OUT FROM THE CITY TO MEET THEM AND THEY WERE TO ISRAEL IN THE MIDDLE THESE FROM THIS AND THESE FROM THIS AND THEY STRUCK DOWN <OBJ.> THEM UNTIL NOT HE HAD LEFT TO <THE> HIM A SURVIVOR AND A FUGITIVE 22Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained
23AND <OBJ.> [THE] KING OF <THE> AI THEY CAPTURED ALIVE AND THEY BROUGHT NEAR <OBJ.> HIM TO JOSHUA 23But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24AND IT WAS WHEN HAD FINISHED ISRAEL TO KILL <OBJ.> ALL [THE] INHABITANTS OF <THE> AI IN THE OPEN COUNTRY IN THE WILDERNESS WHICH THEY HAD PURSUED THEM IN <THE> IT AND THEY HAD FALLEN ALL OF THEM TO [THE] MOUTH OF [THE] SWORD UNTIL WERE FINISHED THEY AND THEY RETURNED ALL ISRAEL <THE> AI AND THEY ATTACKED <OBJ.> IT TO [THE] MOUTH OF [THE] SWORD 24When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
25AND IT WAS ALL THOSE [WHO] FELL ON THE DAY <THE> THAT FROM MAN AND UNTO WOMAN TWO [PLUS] TEN THOUSAND ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF <THE> AI 25A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day— all the people of Ai.
26AND JOSHUA NOT HE DREW BACK HAND HIS WHICH HE HAD STRETCHED OUT WITH THE JAVELIN UNTIL THAT HE HAD TOTALLY DESTROYED <OBJ.> ALL [THE] INHABITANTS OF <THE> AI 26Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction*NoteCloseForms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. all who lived in Ai.
27ONLY THE LIVESTOCK AND [THE] BOOTY OF THE CITY <THE> THAT THEY PLUNDERED FOR <THE> THEMSELVES ISRAEL ACCORDING TO [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH WHICH HE HAD COMMANDED <OBJ.> JOSHUA 27Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
28AND HE BURNED JOSHUA <OBJ.> <THE> AI AND HE MADE IT A MOUND OF PERPETUITY A DESOLATION UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS 28So Joshua burned Ai*NoteCloseAi means ruin. and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.
29AND <OBJ.> [THE] KING OF <THE> AI HE HANGED ON THE TREE UNTIL [THE] TIME OF THE EVENING AND JUST AS WENT THE SUN HE COMMANDED JOSHUA AND THEY TOOK DOWN <OBJ.> CORPSE HIS FROM THE TREE AND THEY THREW <OBJ.> IT TO [THE] ENTRANCE OF [THE] GATE OF THE CITY AND THEY SET UP OVER HIM A HEAP OF STONES GREAT UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS 29He hung the king of Ai on a tree*NoteCloseOr He impaled the king of Ai on a pole until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
30THEN HE BUILT JOSHUA AN ALTAR TO YAHWEH [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL ON [THE] MOUNTAIN OF EBAL Joshua Renews the Covenant (Deuteronomy 27:1–10) 30At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
31JUST AS HE HAD COMMANDED MOSES [THE] SERVANT OF YAHWEH <OBJ.> [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ACCORDING TO <THE> [WHAT] IS WRITTEN IN [THE] BOOK OF [THE] LAW OF MOSES AN ALTAR OF STONES COMPLETE WHICH NOT ANYONE HAS WIELDED ON THEM IRON AND THEY OFFERED UP ON IT BURNT OFFERINGS TO YAHWEH AND THEY SACRIFICED PEACE OFFERINGS 31just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.”*NoteCloseExodus 20:25; Deuteronomy 27:5 And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
32AND HE WROTE THERE ON THE STONES <OBJ.> <THE> COPY OF [THE] LAW OF MOSES WHICH HE HAD WRITTEN <TO> BEFORE [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL 32And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
33AND ALL ISRAEL AND ELDERS ITS AND OFFICIALS AND JUDGES ITS [WERE] STANDING FROM THIS AND FROM THIS OF THE ARK BEFORE THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES [THE] BEARERS OF [THE] ARK OF [THE] COVENANT OF YAHWEH AS THE SOJOURNER AS THE NATIVE HALF OF IT TO [THE] FRONT OF [THE] MOUNTAIN OF GERIZIM AND <THE> HALF OF IT TO [THE] FRONT OF [THE] MOUNTAIN OF EBAL JUST AS HE HAD COMMANDED MOSES [THE] SERVANT OF YAHWEH TO BLESS <OBJ.> THE PEOPLE ISRAEL AT THE FORMER [TIME] 33All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
34AND AFTER THUS HE READ ALOUD <OBJ.> ALL [THE] WORDS OF THE LAW THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE ACCORDING TO EVERY <THE> [THING] WRITTEN IN [THE] BOOK OF THE LAW 34Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law— the blessings and the curses— according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
35NOT IT WAS ANYTHING FROM ALL THAT HE HAD COMMANDED MOSES WHICH NOT HE READ ALOUD JOSHUA BEFORE ALL [THE] ASSEMBLY OF ISRAEL AND THE WOMEN AND THE LITTLE ONE[S] AND THE SOJOURNER[S] WHO WENT IN MIDST THEIR 35There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.