MLV(i)
13 So they set the people, even all the army that was on the north of the city and their ambush that were on the west of the city and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 And it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hastened 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 did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them and 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 there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go 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 your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 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 hastened and set the city on fire.
20 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 who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 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 killed the men of Ai. 22 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 killed* them so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23 And they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24 And it happened, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai and killed* it with the edge of the sword.
25 And all who fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burnt Ai and made it an everlasting heap, even a desolation, to this day.
29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. And at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded and they took his body down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised a great heap of stones on it, to this day.
30 Then Joshua built an altar to Jehovah, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man had lifted up any iron. And they offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote, in the presence of the sons of Israel.
33 And all Israel and their elders and officers and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the traveler as the home born, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34 And 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 did not read before all the assembly of Israel and the women and the little ones and the travelers who were among them.
14 And it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hastened 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 did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them and 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 there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go 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 your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 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 hastened and set the city on fire.
20 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 who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 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 killed the men of Ai. 22 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 killed* them so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23 And they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24 And it happened, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai and killed* it with the edge of the sword.
25 And all who fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burnt Ai and made it an everlasting heap, even a desolation, to this day.
29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. And at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded and they took his body down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised a great heap of stones on it, to this day.
30 Then Joshua built an altar to Jehovah, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man had lifted up any iron. And they offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote, in the presence of the sons of Israel.
33 And all Israel and their elders and officers and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the traveler as the home born, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34 And 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 did not read before all the assembly of Israel and the women and the little ones and the travelers who were among them.