²⁰ So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely,^(A) but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities.^(B)

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.

¹⁷ Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men.

⁶ David said to Abishai,^(A) “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”^[a]

¹⁰ The Lord threw them into confusion^(A) before Israel,^(B) so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon.^(C) Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon^(D) and cut them down all the way to Azekah^(E) and Makkedah.^(F)

¹⁶ However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.^(A)