1
And it came to pass that Joshua arose, and he did gather up all the people of war to go up against Ay;
2
And so it was that Joshua did take with him thirty thousand mighty men of valor and he did send them over by night.
3
And Joshua did command them, saying: Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, to the city, and even behind the city;
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Therefore, go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready; and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city;
5
And it shall come to pass that when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, for they will come out after us, till we have drawn them from the city;
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For behold, they will say: They flee before us, even as at the first; therefore, we will flee before them.
7
Then ye shall rise up from the ambush and seize upon the city; for יהוה (YHVH), our Elohim, will deliver it into your hand.
8
And then it shall be that when we have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the instructions of יהוה (YHVH) shall ye do it.
9
Wherefore, Joshua did send them forth; and they did go out to lie in ambush and abode on the west side of Ay.
10
¶ And it came to pass that Joshua did lodge that night among the people of Israel.
11
And so it was that Joshua did rise up early in the morning, and he did number the people.
12
And Joshua did go up, he and the Elders of Israel, before the people unto Ay.
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And all the people of war that were with him returned themselves before the city, and they did pitch their tents on the north side of Ay.
14
And there was a valley between them and Ai, and it came to pass that Joshua did take us five thousand men, and he did set them to lie in ambush in the valley to the West of Ay; yea, even on the west side of the city.
15
And so it was that when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the North of the city, they that did lay in wait on the west of the city, that Joshua did go that night into the midst of the valley.
16
¶ And it came to pass that when the king of Ay saw it, that they hasted and rose up early;
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And so it was that the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain;
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But the king of Ay knew not that there were men of war waiting in ambush against him behind the city.
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¶ And it came to pass that Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness.
20
And so it was that all the people that were in Ay were called together to pursue after them; and they did pursue after Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
21
And Israel beheld that there was not a man left in Ay that went not out after Joshua and his men; and they left the city open and pursued after Israel.
22
¶ And it came to pass that יהוה (YHVH), did say unto Joshua: Stretch out the sword that is in thy hand toward Ay, for I will give it into thine hand.
23
And so it was that Joshua did stretch out the sword that he had in his hand toward the city.
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And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they did run as soon as he had stretched out his hand;
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Yea, and they did enter into that city, and took it, and they did hasten and set the city a fire.
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¶ And it came to pass that when the men of Ay did look behind them, they did see it; and behold, the smoke of the city did ascend up to the heavens.
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But they had no power to flee this way or that way, and all the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
28
And so it was that 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 Ay.
29
¶ And the other issued out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side;
30
And Israel did smite them so that they let none of them remain or escape until the king of Ay was taken alive and brought before Joshua.
31
And so it was that Joshua did hang the king of Ay on a tree until eventide; and when the sun went down, Joshua did command that they should take his carcass down from the tree.
32
¶ And it came to pass that the war that was between the elohim of the city of Ay, and יהוה (YHVH), the Elohim of Israel did come to an end, and יהוה (YHVH) was once more undefeated.