1
Now the
LORD said to
Joshua, "Do not
fear or be
dismayed.
Take all the
people of
war with you and
arise,
go up to
Ai;
see, I have
given into your
hand the
king of
Ai, his
people, his
city, and his
land.
t'xeT -l;a.w a'ryiT -l;a ;[Uvw{h.y -l,a h'wh.y r,ma{Y;w ? hel][ ~.Wq.w h'm'x.liM;h ~;[ -l'K tea '$.Mi[ x;q ? w{M;[ -t,a.w y;['h .$,l,m -t,a '$.d'y.b yiT;t'n hea.r y'['h ? w{c.r;a -t,a.w w{ryi[ -t,a.w
2
"You shall
do to
Ai and its
king just as you
did to
Jericho and its
king; you shall
take only its
spoil and its
cattle as
plunder for yourselves.
Set an
ambush for the
city behind * it."
w{xyiryil 'tyif'[ r,v]a;K H'K.l;m.l.W y;['l 'tyif'[.w ? ~,k'l .WZ{b'T H'T.m,h.b.W H'l'l.v -q;r H'K.l;m.l.W ? 'hy,r]x;aem ryi['l ber{a '$.l -myif
3
So
Joshua rose with
all the
people of
war to
go up to
Ai; and
Joshua chose 30,000 * men,
valiant warriors, and
sent them out at
night.
tw{l][;l h'm'x.liM;h ~;[ -l'k.w ;[Uvw{h.y ~'q'Y;w ? yerw{BiG vyia @,l,a ~yiv{l.v ;[Uvw{h.y r;x.biY;w y'['h ? h'l.y'l ~ex'l.viY;w lIy;x;h
4
He
commanded them,
saying,
"See, you are going to
ambush the
city from
behind it. Do not
go very far from the
city, but
all of you be
ready.
ryi['l ~yib.r{a ~,T;a .Wa.r r{mael ~'t{a w;c.y;w ? ryi['h -nim .Wqyix.r;T -l;a ryi['h yer]x;aem ? ~yin{k.n ~,k.LUK ~,tyIy.hiw d{a.m
5
"Then I and
all the
people who are with me will
approach the
city. And
when they
come out to
meet us as at the
first, we will
flee before them.
ryi['h -l,a b;r.qin yiTia r,v]a ~'['h -l'k.w yin]a;w ? h'n{vair'B r,v]a;K .Wneta'r.qil .Wa.cey -yiK h'y'h.w ? ~,hyen.pil .Wn.s;n.w
6
"They will
come out
after us
until we have
drawn them
away from the
city, for they will
say, 'They are
fleeing before us as at the
first.' So we will
flee before them.
ryi['h -nim ~'tw{a .WneqyiT;h d;[ .Wnyer]x;a .Wa.c'y.w ? h'n{vair'B r,v]a;K .Wnyen'p.l ~yis'n .Wr.ma{y yiK ? ~,hyen.pil .Wn.s;n.w
7
"And you shall
rise from your
ambush and
take possession of the
city, for the
LORD your
God will
deliver it into your
hand.
ryi['h -t,a ~,T.v;rw{h.w berw{a'hem .WmUq'T ~,T;a.w ? ~,k.d,y.B ~,kyeh{l/a h'wh.y H'n't.n.W
8
"Then it will be when you have
seized the
city, that you shall
set the
city on
fire. You shall
do it according to the
word of the
LORD.
See, I have
commanded you."
ryi['h -t,a .WtyiC;T ryi['h -t,a ~,k.f.p't.K h'y'h.w ? ~,k.t,a yityi.Wic .Wa.r .Wf][;T h'wh.y r;b.diK vea'B
9
So
Joshua sent them
away, and they
went to the place of
ambush and
remained between Bethel and
Ai, on the
west side of
Ai; but
Joshua spent that
night among the
people.
.Wb.veY;w b'r.a;M;h -l,a .Wk.leY;w ;[Uvw{h.y ~ex'l.viY;w ? !,l'Y;w y'['l ~'Yim y;['h !yeb.W lea -tyeB !yeB ? ~'['h .$w{t.B a.Wh;h h'l.y;L;B ;[Uvw{h.y
10
Now
Joshua rose early in the
morning and
mustered the
people, and he
went up with the
elders of
Israel before the
people to
Ai.
~'['h -t,a d{q.piY;w r,q{B;B ;[Uvw{h.y ~eK.v;Y;w ? y'['h ~'['h yen.pil lea'r.fIy yen.qiz.w a.Wh l;[;Y;w
11
Then
all the
people of
war who were with him
went up and
drew near and
arrived in
front of the
city, and
camped on the
north side of
Ai. Now there was a
valley between him and
Ai.
.Wv.GiY;w .Wl'[ w{Tia r,v]a h'm'x.liM;h ~'['h -l'k.w ? y;['l !w{p.Cim .Wn]x;Y;w ryi['h d,g,n .Wa{b'Y;w ? y'['h -nyeb.W w{nyeB y;G;h.w
12
And he
took about
5,000 * men and
set them in
ambush between Bethel and
Ai, on the
west side of the
city.
~'tw{a ~,f'Y;w vyia ~yip'l]a t,vem]x;K x;QiY;w ? ryi['l ~'Yim y;['h !yeb.W lea -tyeB !yeB ber{a
13
So they
stationed the
people,
all the
army that was on the
north side of the
city, and its
rear guard on the
west side of the
city, and
Joshua spent that
night in the
midst of the
valley.
!w{p.Cim r,v]a h,n]x;M;h -l'K -t,a ~'['h .Wmyif'Y;w ? ;[Uvw{h.y .$,leY;w ryi['l ~'Yim w{beq][ -t,a.w ryi['l ? q,me['h .$w{t.B a.Wh;h h'l.y;L;B
14
It
came about when the
king of
Ai saw it, that the
men of the
city hurried and
rose up
early and
went out to
meet Israel in
battle, he and
all his
people at the
appointed place before the
desert plain. But he did not
know that there was an
ambush against him
behind * the
city.
.WmyiK.v;Y;w .Wr]h;m.y;w y;['h -.k,l,m tw{a.riK yih.y;w ? h'm'x.liM;l lea'r.fIy -ta;r.qil ryi['h -yev.n;a .Wa.ceY;w ? a.Wh.w h'b'r]['h yen.pil de[w{M;l w{M;[ -l'k.w a.Wh ? ryi['h yer]x;aem w{l ber{a -yiK [;d'y a{l
15
Joshua and
all Israel pretended to be
beaten before them, and
fled by the
way of the
wilderness.
~,hyen.pil lea'r.fIy -l'k.w ;[Uvw{h.y .W[.g'NiY;w ? r'B.diM;h .$,r,D .WsUn'Y;w
16
And
all the
people who were in the
city were
called together to
pursue them, and they
pursued Joshua and were
drawn away from the
city.
~,hyer]x;a @{D.ril ryi['B r,v]a ~'['h -l'K .Wq]['ZiY;w ? ryi['h -nim .Wq.t'NiY;w ;[Uvw{h.y yer]x;a .Wp.D.riY;w
17
So not a
man was
left in
Ai or
Bethel who had not
gone out
after Israel, and they
left the
city unguarded and
pursued Israel.
.Wa.c'y -a{l r,v]a lea tyeb.W y;['B vyia r;a.vin -a{l.w ? h'x.Wt.P ryi['h -t,a .Wb.z;[;Y;w lea'r.fIy yer]x;a ? lea'r.fIy yer]x;a .Wp.D.riY;w
18
Then the
LORD said to
Joshua,
"Stretch out the
javelin that is in your
hand toward Ai, for I will
give it into your
hand." So
Joshua stretched out the
javelin that was in his
hand toward the
city.
hej.n ;[Uvw{h.y -l,a h'wh.y r,ma{Y;w ? '$.d'y.b yiK y;['h -l,a '$.d'y.B -r,v]a !w{dyiK;B ? ryi['h -l,a w{d'y.B -r,v]a !w{dyiK;B ;[Uvw{h.y jeY;w h'N,n.T,a
19
The men in
ambush rose quickly from their
place, and when he had
stretched out his
hand, they
ran and
entered the
city and
captured it, and they
quickly set the
city on
fire.
tw{j.niK .Wc.Wr'Y;w w{mw{q.Mim h'reh.m ~'q berw{a'h.w ? .WtyiC;Y;w .Wr]h;m.y;w 'h.Wd.K.liY;w ryi['h .Wa{b'Y;w w{d'y ? vea'B ryi['h -t,a
20
When the
men of
Ai turned back and
looked,
behold, the
smoke of the
city ascended to the
sky, and they
had no place to
flee this way or that, for the
people who had been
fleeing to the
wilderness turned against the
pursuers.
heNih.w .Wa.riY;w ~,hyer]x;a y;['h yev.n;a .Wn.piY;w ? ~,h'b h'y'h -a{l.w h'm.y;m'V;h ryi['h !;v][ h'l'[ ? r'B.diM;h s'N;h ~'['h.w h'Neh'w h'Neh s.Wn'l ~Iy;d'y ? @edw{r'h -l,a .$;P.h,n
21
When
Joshua and
all Israel saw that the men in
ambush had
captured the
city and that the
smoke of the
city ascended, they
turned back and
slew the
men of
Ai.
ber{a'h d;k'l -yiK .Wa'r lea'r.fIy -l'k.w ;[Uvw{hyiw ? .WbUv'Y;w ryi['h !;v][ h'l'[ yik.w ryi['h -t,a ? y'['h yev.n;a -t,a .WK;Y;w
22
The
others came out from the
city to
encounter them, so that they were trapped in the
midst of
Israel,
some on
this side and
some on that
side; and they
slew them
until no one was
left of those
who survived or
escaped.
.Wy.hiY;w ~'ta'r.qil ryi['h -nim .Wa.c'y h,Lea.w ? .WK;Y;w h,Zim h,Lea.w h,Zim h,Lea .$,w'T;B lea'r.fIy.l ? jyil'p.W dyir'f w{l -ryia.vih yiT.liB -d;[ ~'tw{a
23
But they
took alive the
king of
Ai and
brought him to
Joshua.
w{t{a .Wbir.q;Y;w y'x .Wf.p'T y;['h .$,l,m -t,a.w ? ;[Uvw{h.y -l,a
24
Now when
Israel had
finished killing all the
inhabitants of
Ai in the
field in the
wilderness where they
pursued them, and
all of them were
fallen by the
edge of the
sword until they were
destroyed, then
all Israel returned to
Ai and
struck it with the
edge of the
sword.
yeb.v{y -l'K -t,a g{r]h;l lea'r.fIy tw{L;k.K yih.y;w ? .Wl.PiY;w w{B ~.Wp'd.r r,v]a r'B.diM;B h,d'F;B y;['h ? lea'r.fIy -l'k .WbUv'Y;w ~'MUT -d;[ b,r,x -yip.l ~'LUk ? b,r'x -yip.l H't{a .WK;Y;w y;['h
25
All who
fell that
day,
both men and
women, were
12,000 * * -all the
people of
Ai.
vyiaem a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B ~yil.p{N;h -l'k yih.y;w ? y'['h yev.n;a l{K @,l'a r'f'[ ~yen.v h'Via -d;[.w
26
For
Joshua did not
withdraw his
hand with
which he
stretched out the
javelin until he had
utterly destroyed all the
inhabitants of
Ai.
!w{dyiK;B h'j'n r,v]a w{d'y byiveh -a{l ;[Uvw{hyiw ? y'['h yeb.v{y -l'K tea ~yir/x,h r,v]a d;[
27
Israel took only the
cattle and the
spoil of that
city as
plunder for themselves, according to the
word of the
LORD which He had
commanded Joshua.
~,h'l .Wz.z'B ayih;h ryi['h l;l.v.W h'meh.B;h q;r ? ;[Uvw{h.y -t,a h\Wic r,v]a h'wh.y r;b.diK lea'r.fIy
28
So
Joshua burned Ai and
made it a
heap forever, a
desolation until this day.
~'lw{[ -leT 'h,myif.y;w y'['h -t,a ;[Uvw{h.y @{r.fiY;w ? h,Z;h ~w{Y;h d;[ h'm'm.v
29
He
hanged the
king of
Ai on a
tree until evening; and at
sunset * Joshua gave command and they
took his
body down from the
tree and
threw it at the
entrance of the
city gate, and
raised over it a
great heap of
stones that stands to
this day.
te[ -d;[ #e['h -l;[ h'l'T y;['h .$,l,m -t,a.w ? .Wdyir{Y;w ;[Uvw{h.y h\Wic v,m,V;h aw{b.k.W b,r'['h ? H'tw{a .Wkyil.v;Y;w #e['h -nim w{t'l.bin -t,a ? ~yin'b]a -l;G wy'l'[ .Wmyiq'Y;w ryi['h r;[;v x;t,P -l,a ? h,Z;h ~w{Y;h d;[ lw{d'G
30
Then Joshua built an
altar to the
LORD, the
God of
Israel, in
Mount Ebal,
lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'why;l ;xeB.zim ;[Uvw{h.y h,n.bIy z'a ? l'bye[ r;h.B
31
just as
Moses the
servant of the
LORD had
commanded the
sons of
Israel, as it is
written in the
book of the
law of
Moses, an
altar of
uncut stones on
which no man had
wielded an
iron tool; and they
offered burnt offerings on it to the
LORD, and
sacrificed peace offerings.
yen.B -t,a h'wh.y -d,b,[ h,v{m h\Wic r,v]a;K ? x;B.zim h,v{m t;rw{T r,pes.B b.Wt'K;K lea'r.fIy ? !,hyel][ @yineh -a{l r,v]a tw{mel.v ~yin'b]a ? .Wx.B.ziY;w h'why;l tw{l{[ wy'l'[ .Wl][;Y;w l,z.r;B ? ~yim'l.v
32
He
wrote there on the
stones a
copy of the
law of
Moses,
which he had
written, in the
presence of the
sons of
Israel.
t;rw{T hen.vim tea ~yin'b]a'h -l;[ ~'v -b'T.kiY;w ? lea'r.fIy yen.B yen.pil b;t'K r,v]a h,v{m
33
All Israel with their
elders and
officers and their
judges were
standing on
both * sides * of the
ark before the
Levitical priests who
carried the
ark of the
covenant of the
LORD, the
stranger as well as the
native.
Half of them stood in
front of
Mount Gerizim and
half of them in
front of
Mount Ebal,
just as
Moses the
servant of the
LORD had
given command at
first to
bless the
people of
Israel.
wy'j.p{v.w ~yir.j{v.w wy'neq.z.W lea'r.fIy -l'k.w ? ~yin]h{K;h d,g,n !w{r'a'l h,Zim.W h,Zim ~yid.m{[ ? reG;K h'wh.y -tyir.B !w{r]a yea.f{n ~iYiw.l;h ? w{y.c,x;h.w ~yizir.G -r;h l.Wm -l,a w{y.c,x x'r.z,a'K ? h'wh.y -d,b,[ h,v{m h\Wic r,v]a;K l'bye[ -r;h l.Wm -l,a ? h'n{vair'B lea'r.fIy ~'['h -t,a .$er'b.l
34
Then
afterward * he
read all the
words of the
law, the
blessing and the
curse, according to
all that is
written in the
book of the
law.
h'rw{T;h yer.biD -l'K -t,a a'r'q !ek -yer]x;a.w ? h'rw{T;h r,pes.B b.Wt'K;h -l'k.K h'l'l.Q;h.w h'k'r.B;h
35
There was not a
word of
all that
Moses had
commanded which Joshua did not
read before all the
assembly of
Israel with the
women and the
little ones and the
strangers who were
living among them.
r,v]a h,v{m h\Wic -r,v]a l{Kim r'b'd h'y'h -a{l ? lea'r.fIy l;h.q -l'K d,g,n ;[Uvw{h.y a'r'q -a{l ? ~'B.riq.B .$el{h;h reG;h.w @;J;h.w ~yiv'N;h.w