1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3 ¶ So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, 6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, 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 the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9 ¶ Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. 12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 ¶ And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it , that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in 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 Ai 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 Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. 18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had 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 they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted 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 that 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 slew the men of Ai. 22 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: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. 24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. 25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. 28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. 29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
30 ¶ Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, 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 children of Israel. 33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, 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 read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
1 Καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Ἰησοῦν Μὴ φοβηθῇς μηδὲ δειλιάσῃς· λαβὲ μετὰ σοῦ τοὺς ἄνδρας πάντας τοὺς πολεμιστὰς καὶ ἀναστὰς ἀνάβηθι εἰς Γαι· ἰδοὺ δέδωκα εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου τὸν βασιλέα Γαι καὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ. 2 καὶ ποιήσεις τὴν Γαι ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησας τὴν Ιεριχω καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῆς, καὶ τὴν προνομὴν τῶν κτηνῶν προνομεύσεις σεαυτῷ. κατάστησον δὲ σεαυτῷ ἔνεδρα τῇ πόλει εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω. 3 καὶ ἀνέστη Ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ πολεμιστὴς ὥστε ἀναβῆναι εἰς Γαι. ἐπέλεξεν δὲ Ἰησοῦς τριάκοντα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν δυνατοὺς ἐν ἰσχύι καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς νυκτός. 4 καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς λέγων Ὑμεῖς ἐνεδρεύσατε ὀπίσω τῆς πόλεως· μὴ μακρὰν γίνεσθε ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἔσεσθε πάντες ἕτοιμοι. 5 καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ πάντες οἱ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ προσάξομεν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἔσται ὡς ἂν ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ κατοικοῦντες Γαι εἰς συνάντησιν ἡμῖν καθάπερ καὶ πρώην, καὶ φευξόμεθα ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν. 6 καὶ ὡς ἂν ἐξέλθωσιν ὀπίσω ἡμῶν, ἀποσπάσομεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως· καὶ ἐροῦσιν Φεύγουσιν οὗτοι ἀπὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν ὃν τρόπον καὶ ἔμπροσθεν. 7 ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐξαναστήσεσθε ἐκ τῆς ἐνέδρας καὶ πορεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν πόλιν. 8 κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ποιήσετε· ἰδοὺ ἐντέταλμαι ὑμῖν. 9 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν ἐνέδραν καὶ ἐνεκάθισαν ἀνὰ μέσον Βαιθηλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον Γαι ἀπὸ θαλάσσης τῆς Γαι. 10 καὶ ὀρθρίσας Ἰησοῦς τὸ πρωὶ ἐπεσκέψατο τὸν λαόν· καὶ ἀνέβησαν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπὶ Γαι. 11 καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ πολεμιστὴς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀνέβησαν καὶ πορευόμενοι ἦλθον ἐξ ἐναντίας τῆς πόλεως ἀπ᾽ ἀνατολῶν, 12 καὶ τὰ ἔνεδρα τῆς πόλεως ἀπὸ θαλάσσης. 14 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν βασιλεὺς Γαι, ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἐπ᾽ εὐθείας εἰς τὸν πόλεμον, αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἔνεδρα αὐτῷ ἐστιν ὀπίσω τῆς πόλεως. 15 καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ Ισραηλ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν. 16 καὶ κατεδίωξαν ὀπίσω τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως· 17 οὐ κατελείφθη οὐθεὶς ἐν τῇ Γαι, ὃς οὐ κατεδίωξεν ὀπίσω Ισραηλ· καὶ κατέλιπον τὴν πόλιν ἀνεῳγμένην καὶ κατεδίωξαν ὀπίσω Ισραηλ. 18 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Ἰησοῦν Ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐν τῷ γαίσῳ τῷ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν — εἰς γὰρ τὰς χεῖράς σου παραδέδωκα αὐτήν —, καὶ τὰ ἔνεδρα ἐξαναστήσονται ἐν τάχει ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐξέτεινεν Ἰησοῦς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, τὸν γαῖσον, ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν, 19 καὶ τὰ ἔνεδρα ἐξανέστησαν ἐν τάχει ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξήλθοσαν, ὅτε ἐξέτεινεν τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ κατελάβοντο αὐτὴν καὶ σπεύσαντες ἐνέπρησαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν πυρί. 20 καὶ περιβλέψαντες οἱ κάτοικοι Γαι εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν καὶ ἐθεώρουν καπνὸν ἀναβαίνοντα ἐκ τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν· καὶ οὐκέτι εἶχον ποῦ φύγωσιν ὧδε ἢ ὧδε. 21 καὶ Ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ εἶδον ὅτι ἔλαβον τὰ ἔνεδρα τὴν πόλιν καὶ ὅτι ἀνέβη ὁ καπνὸς τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ μεταβαλόμενοι ἐπάταξαν τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς Γαι. 22 καὶ οὗτοι ἐξήλθοσαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως εἰς συνάντησιν καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς, οὗτοι ἐντεῦθεν καὶ οὗτοι ἐντεῦθεν· καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἕως τοῦ μὴ καταλειφθῆναι αὐτῶν σεσωσμένον καὶ διαπεφευγότα. 23 καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Γαι συνέλαβον ζῶντα καὶ προσήγαγον αὐτὸν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν. 24 καὶ ὡς ἐπαύσαντο οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἀποκτέννοντες πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῇ Γαι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις καὶ ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐπὶ τῆς καταβάσεως, οὗ κατεδίωξαν αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς εἰς τέλος, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Ἰησοῦς εἰς Γαι καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας. 25 καὶ ἐγενήθησαν οἱ πεσόντες ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἕως γυναικὸς δώδεκα χιλιάδες, πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Γαι, 27 πλὴν τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ τῶν σκύλων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, πάντα ἃ ἐπρονόμευσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ κατὰ πρόσταγμα κυρίου, ὃν τρόπον συνέταξεν κύριος τῷ Ἰησοῖ. 28 καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν Ἰησοῦς τὴν πόλιν ἐν πυρί· χῶμα ἀοίκητον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔθηκεν αὐτὴν ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. 29 καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Γαι ἐκρέμασεν ἐπὶ ξύλου διδύμου, καὶ ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου ἕως ἑσπέρας· καὶ ἐπιδύνοντος τοῦ ἡλίου συνέταξεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ καθείλοσαν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν βόθρον καὶ ἐπέστησαν αὐτῷ σωρὸν λίθων ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.