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: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17
There was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, who didn`t go out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
18
Yahweh 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; and 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: and 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 again, and killed the men of Ai.
22
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 struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23
The king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24
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 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 men 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
Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which he commanded Joshua.
28
So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.
29
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 body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised thereon a great heap of stones, to this day.