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(A) 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.(B) 23 But they took the king of Ai alive(C) 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.(D) 26 For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin(E) until he had destroyed[a](F) all who lived in Ai.(G) 27 But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.(H)

28 So Joshua burned(I) Ai[b](J) and made it a permanent heap of ruins,(K) a desolate place to this day.(L) 29 He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset,(M) 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(N) over it, which remains to this day.

The Covenant Renewed at Mount Ebal

30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal(O) an altar(P) 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(Q) had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.(R) 32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.(S) 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(T) priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born(U) were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,(V) 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.(W) 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.(X)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 8:26 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Joshua 8:28 Ai means the ruin.

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.

Read full chapter

21 And Joshua saw, and all Israel, that the city was taken, and that the smoke of the city went up; and he turned again, and killed the men of Ai. (And Joshua, and all of Israel, saw that the city was taken, and that the smoke of the city went up; and then they turned, and killed the men of Ai.)

22 And also those men that had taken and burnt the city, went out of the city against their enemies, and they began to smite the middle men of their enemies (And those men who had taken and set the city afire, now came out of the city against their enemies, and they began to strike down the enemies who were in their midst); and when their adversaries were slain behind and before, so that no man of so great [a] multitude was saved,

23 they took also the king of Ai living (they took the king of Ai alive), and they brought him to Joshua.

24 Therefore, when all the men were slain, that pursued Israel fleeing to desert, and had fallen by sword in the same place, the sons of Israel turned again, and destroyed the city of Ai. (And so, when all the men were killed, that Israel had pursued fleeing to the desert, and they had fallen by the sword in that place, then the Israelites turned back, and completely destroyed the city of Ai.)

25 Forsooth they that felled down in the same day, from man till to woman, were twelve thousand of men, all men of the city of Ai. (And they who fell that day, from the men unto the women, were twelve thousand people, yea, all the inhabitants of the city of Ai.)

26 For Joshua withdrew not his hand, which he had directed on high holding up his banner [that in height he put up holding the sword (that he had put on high holding up his sword)], till that all the dwellers of Ai were slain.

27 And the sons of Israel parted to themselves the work beasts (And the Israelites divided among themselves the work beasts), and the prey of the city, as the Lord commanded to Joshua;

28 and Joshua burnt that city (and Joshua burned down that city), and made it an everlasting burial.

29 And he hanged the king thereof in a gibbet, till to the eventide, and the going down of the sun. And Joshua commanded, and they putted down his dead body from the cross; and they casted forth him in that entering of the city, and gathered on him a great heap of stones, which heap dwelleth till into present day. (And he hanged its king upon a gallows, or a tree, until the evening, and the going down of the sun. And then Joshua commanded, and they took down his dead body from the tree; and they threw him forth at the entrance to the city gate, and gathered upon him a great heap of stones, which heap remaineth there until this present day.)

30 Then Joshua builded an altar to the Lord God of Israel in the hill of Ebal, (Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal,)

31 as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded to the sons of Israel, and (as) it is written in the book of Moses’ law, an altar of stones unpolished, that iron hath not touched. And he offered thereon burnt sacrifices to the Lord, and he offered also peaceable sacrifices; (as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded to the Israelites, and as it is written in the Book of the Law by Moses, yea, an altar of unpolished stones that iron hath not touched. And he offered on it burnt sacrifices to the Lord, and also peace offerings;)

32 and he wrote on the stones the Deuteronomy of Moses’ law, not all the book, but the ten behests only, which he had declared before the sons of Israel. (and he wrote on the stones the Deuteronomy of the Law by Moses, not all the book, but only the Ten Commandments, which he had declared before the Israelites.)

33 And all the people, and the greater men in birth, and dukes, and judges, stood on either side of the ark, in the sight of (the) priests and deacons, that bare the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord; as a comeling, so and a man born in the land; the half part of them stood beside the hill Gerizim, and the half part of them stood beside the hill Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded. And Joshua first blessed the people of Israel. (And all the people, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the leaders, and the judges, and the officers, stood on either side of the Ark, before the priests and the Levites, who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord; a stranger as well as someone born in the land; half of them stood facing Mount Gerizim, and half of them stood facing Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. And first Joshua blessed the people of Israel.)

34 And (then) after these things he read all the words of blessing and of cursing, and all things that were written in the book of (the) law.

35 Joshua left nothing untouched of these things that Moses commanded; but he declared all things before all the multitude of Israel, to women, and little children, and to comelings that dwelled among them. (Joshua left nothing untouched of those things that Moses commanded; yea, he declared everything before all the multitude of Israel, including the women, and the little children, and the newcomers, or the foreigners, who lived among them.)

Read full chapter

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 (A)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 (B)utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 (C)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 (D)commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it (E)a heap forever, a desolation to this day. 29 (F)And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. (G)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 (H)raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.

Joshua Renews the Covenant(I)

30 Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel (J)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: (K)“an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And (L)they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, (M)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, (N)who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, (O)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, (P)as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward (Q)he read all the words of the law, (R)the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the (S)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, (T)with the women, the little ones, (U)and the strangers who were living among them.

Read full chapter