여호수아 8
Korean Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
아이 성이 무너지다
8 하나님께서 여호수아에게 말씀하셨다. “두려워하지 말아라. 용기를 잃지 말아라. 너는 온 군대를 이끌고 올라가 아이 성을 공격하여라. 내가 아이의 왕과 그의 백성과 그의 도성과 땅을 모두 너의 손에 넘겨주었다. 2 너희가 여리고 성과 그 왕에게 하였던 것처럼 아이 성과 그 왕에게도 하여라. 다만 이번에는 그들에게서 빼앗게 될 물건과 가축들을 너희가 가져도 좋다. 그리고 성 뒤쪽에는 군인들을 매복시켜라.”
3 그리하여 여호수아와 온 군대가 아이 성을 공격하려고 출동하였다. 여호수아는 가장 용맹한 군사 삼만 명을 뽑아서 밤을 틈타 보내면서 4 이렇게 명령하였다. “내가 지금 명령하는 것을 잘 들어라. 너희는 아이 성 뒤편에 숨어 있어야 한다. 성에서 너무 멀리 떨어지지 않도록 하여라. 너희는 모두 정신을 바짝 차리고 있어야 한다. 5 나는 다른 군사들을 데리고 아이 성으로 진격하겠다. 성 안에 있던 사람들이 전처럼 우리와 싸우려고 성 밖으로 나오면 우리는 그들에게서 도망칠 것이다. 6 우리가 그들을 유인하면 그들은 성에서 멀리 떨어진 곳까지 우리 뒤를 쫓아올 것이다. 그들은 ‘저 녀석들이 지난번과 같이 우리 앞에서 도망치는구나.’하고 말할 것이다. 그러니 우리가 그들에게서 도망치면, 7 너희는 숨어 있던 곳에서 나와 그 성을 점령하여라. 주 너희 하나님께서 그 성을 너희 손에 넘겨주실 것이다. 8 너희는 성을 점령하는 대로 성을 불태워라. 너희는 하나님께서 명령하신 대로 하여라. 반드시 그렇게 하여라. 내가 너희에게 내리는 명령이다.”
9 그런 다음 여호수아가 그들을 보내자 그들은 숨어 있어야 할 장소로 가서 공격할 때를 기다렸다. 그곳은 아이 성의 서쪽으로, 아이 성과 베델사이에 있었다. 한편 여호수아는 백성과 함께 그날 밤을 보냈다.
10 여호수아는 다음날 아침 일찍 군사들을 점호하고, 이스라엘의 지도자들과 함께 그들 앞에서 아이 성을 향하여 처올라갔다. 11 여호수아가 거느린 모든 군인이 올라가 성 맞은편에 이르렀다. 그들이 아이 성 북쪽에 진을 치니, 그들과 성 사이에는 골짜기 하나가 있었다.
12 여호수아는 군사들 가운데서 오천 명을 뽑아 아이 성의 서쪽으로 가서, 아이 성과 베델사이에 숨어 있도록 하였다. 13 이렇게 하여 여호수아는 전투 준비를 마쳤다. 주요 부대는 성의 북쪽에 배치되어 있었고, 다른 군사들은 성의 서쪽에 숨어 있었다. 그날 밤 여호수아는 골짜기로 내려가 밤을 지냈다.
14 아이 성의 왕은 이것을 보고 아침 일찍 일어났다. 그는 모든 군사를 거느리고 이스라엘을 맞아 싸우려고 서둘러 나와서, 요단 골짜기 쪽으로 도망치는 이스라엘의 뒤를 쫓았다. 그러나 자기를 치려고 성 뒤에 이스라엘 군사들이 숨어 있는 것은 알지 못 하였다.
15 여호수아와 온 이스라엘은 그들 앞에서 쫓기는 척하며 광야가 있는 동쪽으로 달아났다. 16 그러자 성 안에 남아 있던 모든 아이 성 사람들까지 불려 나와 이스라엘의 뒤를 쫓았다. 그들은 여호수아를 뒤쫓느라 성에서 멀리 떨어진 곳까지 따라갔다. 17 아이와 베델에는 이스라엘의 뒤를 쫓아 나가지 않은 사람이 한 사람도 없었다. 그들은 성문도 열어 놓은 채 이스라엘의 뒤를 쫓았다.
18 그때 하나님께서 여호수아에게 말씀하셨다. “네 손에 들린 창을 들어 아이 성을 가리켜라. 내가 그 성을 너에게 주겠다.” 그리하여 여호수아가 그의 창을 들어 아이 성을 가리켰다. 19 그가 그렇게 하는 순간, 숨어 있던 군사들이 재빨리 일어나 돌진해 나아갔다. 그들은 성안으로 들어가 그곳을 점령하고 순식간에 성에 불을 질렀다.
20 아이 성 사람들이 뒤를 돌아보니 성에서 올라오는 연기가 하늘로 치솟고 있었다. 그러나 그들은 어느 쪽으로도 도망칠 수가 없었다. 이제껏 광야 쪽으로 도망치던 이스라엘 군인들이 자기들을 뒤쫓는 적들과 싸우려고 뒤돌아섰기 때문이다. 21 여호수아와 그가 이끄는 군인들은 숨어 있던 군인들이 성을 점령한 것과 성에서 연기가 치솟는 것을 보고는, 돌아서서 아이 성 사람들을 공격하였던 것이다. 22 이때 아이 성을 점령한 이스라엘 군인들도 아이 성 사람들과 싸우려고 성에서 나왔다. 이제 아이 성 사람들은 이스라엘 사람들에게 앞뒤로 둘러싸여 어디로도 빠져나갈 수 없게 되었다. 이스라엘이 앞뒤에서 그들을 치니 그들 가운데 살아남거나 도망친 사람이 하나도 없었다. 23 이스라엘 사람들은 아이 성의 왕을 사로잡아 여호수아에게 끌고 왔다.
다시 한 번 싸움을 뒤돌아보다
24 이스라엘은 그들을 쫓아 왔던 아이 성 사람들을 한 사람도 남기지 않고 들판과 광야에서 다 죽였다. 그들 모두가 마지막 한 사람까지 칼에 쓰러지자, 이스라엘 군대는 아이 성으로 돌아가 성에 남아 있던 사람들마저 다 죽였다. 25 그날 아이 성에 살던 모든 사람이 죽임을 당하였다. 죽은 사람은 남자 여자 합하여 만 이천 명이었다. 26 여호수아는 아이 성 사람들을 모두 전멸시킬 때까지 창을 치켜든 그의 손을 내리지 않았다. 27 그러나 그 성에 있던 가축과 전리품은 주께서 여호수아에게 명하신 대로 이스라엘이 차지하였다.
28 여호수아는 아이 성을 불태워 영구히 폐허로 만들었다. 오늘에 이르기까지 그곳은 그렇게 남아 있다. 29 여호수아는 아이 성의 왕을 나무에 매달아 저녁때까지 그렇게 두었다. 해질 무렵에 여호수아는 그 왕의 주검을 나무에서 내려 성 어귀에 버리라고 명하였다. 사람들이 그 주검 위에 큰 돌무더기를 쌓았는데 그 돌무덤이 오늘날까지 남아 있다.
축복과 저주를 읽어 들려주다
30 그런 다음 여호수아는 에발 산에 제단을 쌓아 주 이스라엘의 하나님께 바쳤다. 31 그는 주의 종 모세가 이스라엘 백성에게 명한 대로 제단을 쌓았다. 그는 모세의 율법책[a]에 쓰인 대로, 어떤 연장으로도 다듬지 않은 자연석으로 제단을 쌓았다. 그들은 그 위에 주께 드리는 번제물과 친교제물을 바쳤다. 32 여호수아는 그곳에서 이스라엘 백성이 지켜보는 가운데 모세가 쓴 모세의 법을 돌에 새겼다. 33 장로들과 관리들과 재판장들을 비롯하여 온 이스라엘 백성이 주의 계약궤 양 옆에 섰다. 외국 사람이나 본토인이나 가릴 것 없이, 온 이스라엘이 주의 계약궤를 멘 레위 가문의 제사장들을 마주보며 양쪽으로 갈라섰다. 전에 주의 종 모세가 이스라엘 백성을 축복하려고 할 때에는, 어떻게 하라고 지시한 적이 있었다[b]. 그들은 그 명령에 따라 백성의 절반은 그리심 산 앞에 서고, 다른 절반은 에발 산 앞에 섰다.
34 그런 다음 여호수아는 율법의 말씀을 모두 읽어 주었다. 모든 축복과 저주의 말씀을 율법책에 쓰여 있는 그대로 읽어 주었다. 35 모세가 명령한 것 가운데, 온 이스라엘 회중과 여자들과 아이들과 그들 가운데 살고 있는 외국 사람들 앞에서, 여호수아가 읽어 들려주지 않은 말씀이 하나도 없었다.
Footnotes
- 8:31 모세의 율법책 하나님께서 모세를 통하여 이스라엘 백성에게 주신 규칙들을 써 놓은 책. 출 34:29-32
- 8:33 전에…있었다 신 27:11-13을 볼 것.
Joshua 8
King James Version
8 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 Bethel 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 Bethel 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 Bethel, 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.
Joshua 8
New International Version
Ai Destroyed
8 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid;(A) do not be discouraged.(B) Take the whole army(C) with you, and go up and attack Ai.(D) For I have delivered(E) into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder(F) and livestock for yourselves.(G) Set an ambush(H) behind the city.”
3 So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night 4 with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. 5 I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. 6 They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, 7 you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give it into your hand.(I) 8 When you have taken the city, set it on fire.(J) Do what the Lord has commanded.(K) See to it; you have my orders.”
9 Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush(L) and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people.
10 Early the next morning(M) Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of Israel(N) marched before them to Ai. 11 The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. 12 Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.
14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah.(O) But he did not know(P) that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back(Q) before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.(R) 16 All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away(S) from the city. 17 Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.
18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin(T) that is in your hand,(U) for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand.(V) 19 As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly(W) from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.(X)
20 The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky,(Y) but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers. 21 For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from it, they turned around(Z) and attacked the men of Ai. 22 Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.(AA) 23 But they took the king of Ai alive(AB) and brought him to Joshua.
24 When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. 25 Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.(AC) 26 For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin(AD) until he had destroyed[a](AE) all who lived in Ai.(AF) 27 But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.(AG)
28 So Joshua burned(AH) Ai[b](AI) and made it a permanent heap of ruins,(AJ) a desolate place to this day.(AK) 29 He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset,(AL) Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks(AM) over it, which remains to this day.
The Covenant Renewed at Mount Ebal
30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal(AN) an altar(AO) to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool(AP) had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.(AQ) 32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.(AR) 33 All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical(AS) priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born(AT) were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,(AU) as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.
34 Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law.(AV) 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.(AW)
Footnotes
- Joshua 8:26 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Joshua 8:28 Ai means the ruin.
Joshua 8
New King James Version
The Fall of Ai
8 Now the Lord said to Joshua: (A)“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, (B)I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to (C)Jericho and its king. Only (D)its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay 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 thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night. 4 And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, (E)you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that (F)we shall flee before them. 6 For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the Lord you shall do. (G)See, I have commanded you.”
9 Joshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 10 Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 (H)And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai. 12 So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of [a]the city. 13 And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he (I)did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel (J)made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. 17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel.
18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. 19 So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to 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 to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
21 Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they (K)let none of them remain or escape. 23 But 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 where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had (L)utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 (M)Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He had (N)commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it (O)a heap forever, a desolation to this day. 29 (P)And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. (Q)And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and (R)raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
Joshua Renews the Covenant(S)
30 Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel (T)in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: (U)“an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And (V)they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, (W)he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, (X)who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, (Y)the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, (Z)as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward (AA)he read all the words of the law, (AB)the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the (AC)Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, (AD)with the women, the little ones, (AE)and the strangers who were living among them.
Footnotes
- Joshua 8:12 Ai
Joshua 8
English Standard Version
The Fall of Ai
8 And the Lord said to Joshua, (A)“Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, (B)I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did (C)to Jericho and its king. Only (D)its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”
3 So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4 And he commanded them, “Behold, (E)you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. 5 And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us (F)just as before, we shall flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us, until we have (G)drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. (H)See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.
10 Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And (I)all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12 He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14 And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place[a] toward (J)the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. (K)But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel (L)pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they (M)were drawn away from the city. 17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.
18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, (N)“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 men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 20 So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was (O)left none that survived or escaped. 23 But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.
24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. 25 And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai. 26 But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he (P)stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.[b] 27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he (Q)commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a (R)heap of ruins, as it is to this day. 29 (S)And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. (T)And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and (U)raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.
Joshua Renews the Covenant
30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, (V)on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on (W)the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, (X)sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests (Y)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, (Z)just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward (AA)he read all the words of the law, (AB)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 that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, (AC)and the women, and the little ones, and (AD)the sojourners who lived[c] among them.
Footnotes
- Joshua 8:14 Hebrew appointed time
- Joshua 8:26 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
- Joshua 8:35 Or traveled
Copyright © 2021 by Bible League International
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.


