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Josua 8
Svenska Folkbibeln
Josua 8
Svenska Folkbibeln
Ais erövring och förstöring
8 Herren sade till Josua: "Frukta inte, var inte förskräckt! Tag med dig allt krigsfolk och stå upp och drag ut mot Ai. Se, jag har givit kungen i Ai med hans folk, hans stad och hans land i dina händer. 2 Och du skall göra med Ai och dess kung som du gjorde med Jeriko och dess kung, men rovet och boskapen därifrån får ni behålla som ert byte. Lägg ett bakhåll mot staden på andra sidan om den."
3 Då bröt Josua upp med allt krigsfolket för att tåga mot Ai. Och Josua valde ut trettiotusen man, tappra stridsmän, och sände ut dem om natten. 4 Han befallde dem: "Lägg er i bakhåll mot staden, på andra sidan om den, men gå inte alltför långt från staden. Och håll er alla beredda. 5 Själv skall jag med allt folk som är kvar hos mig rycka fram mot staden. När de då drar ut mot oss som förra gången, skall vi fly för dem. 6 Då kommer de att följa efter oss, tills vi har lockat bort dem från staden. De kommer nämligen att säga: Nu flyr de för oss precis som förra gången. 7 Men när vi flyr för dem, skall ni komma fram från bakhållet och inta staden, ty Herren, er Gud, har givit den i er hand. 8 Och när ni har intagit staden, skall ni tända eld på den. Det är vad Herren har sagt att ni skall göra. Ge akt på vad jag har befallt." 9 Josua sände i väg dem, och de gick och lade sig i bakhåll mellan Betel och Ai, väster om Ai. Men Josua stannade över natten bland folket.
10 Tidigt följande morgon mönstrade Josua folket och drog sedan med de äldste i Israel i spetsen för folket upp till Ai. 11 Allt det krigsfolk som var kvar hos honom drog med dit upp och ryckte allt närmare, till dess de kom mitt emot staden. Där slog de läger norr om Ai med dalen mellan sig och Ai. 12 Men han tog omkring femtusen man och lade dem i bakhåll mellan Betel och Ai, väster om staden. 13 Och när folket intagit ställning, både lägret norr om staden och de som låg i bakhåll väster om staden, gick Josua den natten fram till mitten av dalen. 14 När kungen i Ai såg detta, skyndade sig männen i staden och han själv med allt sitt folk och drog tidigt på morgonen ut till strid mot Israel, bort till den utsedda platsen framför hedmarken. Han visste inte om bakhållet mot honom på andra sidan staden. 15 Josua och hela Israel låtsades bli slagna och flydde i riktning mot öknen. 16 Då kallade man samman allt folket i staden för att förfölja dem. Och de förföljde Josua och lockades bort från staden. 17 Inte en enda man blev kvar i Ai eller i Betel, alla drog ut efter Israel och lämnade staden öppen, när de förföljde Israel.
18 Och Herren sade till Josua: "Räck ut spjutet som du har i handen mot Ai, ty jag skall ge staden i din hand." Då räckte Josua ut spjutet som han hade i sin hand mot staden. 19 Och de som låg i bakhåll bröt hastigt upp från sin plats och skyndade i väg, så snart han räckte ut sin hand, och de kom in i staden och intog den och skyndade sig att sätta eld på den. 20 När då männen från Ai vände sig om, fick de se hur rök från staden steg upp mot himlen. Och de hade inte möjlighet att fly vare sig i ena eller andra riktningen, eftersom det folk som flydde åt öknen vände sig mot sina förföljare. 21 Ty när Josua och hela Israel såg, att de som låg i bakhåll hade intagit staden och att rök steg upp från staden, vände de om och slog ner männen från Ai. 22 De andra drog ut från staden emot dem, så att de kom mitt emellan israeliterna och hade dem på båda sidor om sig. Och dessa nergjorde dem och lät ingen överleva eller komma undan. 23 Men kungen i Ai blev tagen till fånga levande och förd till Josua.
24 När Israel hade dödat alla Ais invånare ute på fältet och i öknen, dit de hade förföljt dem, och alla dessa hade fallit för svärd och blivit nergjorda, vände alla israeliter tillbaka till Ai och slog det med svärd. 25 De som föll den dagen, män och kvinnor, utgjorde tolvtusen personer, allt folket i Ai. 26 Josua drog inte tillbaka sin hand, som han hade räckt ut spjutet med, förrän alla Ais invånare hade blivit tillintetgjorda. 27 Det var bara boskapen och rovet från denna stad, som Israel tog som byte, enligt den befallning Herren hade givit Josua. 28 Och Josua brände upp Ai och gjorde det till en grushög för evig tid, till en ödemark, som det är ännu i dag. 29 Kungen i Ai lät han hänga upp på en påle, och där fick han hänga till kvällen. När solen gick ner, tog man på Josuas befallning ner hans döda kropp från pålen och kastade den vid ingången till stadsporten. De reste ett stort stenröse över den, och det finns kvar än i dag.
Lagen läses upp på berget Ebal
30 Sedan byggde Josua åt Herren, Israels Gud, ett altare på berget Ebal, 31 så som Herrens tjänare Mose hade befallt Israels barn, och som det var föreskrivet i Moses lagbok: ett altare av ohuggna stenar, som inte var bearbetade med järn. På det offrade de brännoffer åt Herren och slaktade gemenskapsoffer. 32 Där på stenarna lät Josua göra en avskrift av den lag som Mose hade skrivit inför Israels barn. 33 Hela Israel med dess äldste och tillsyningsmän och domare stod på båda sidor om arken, så att de hade de levitiska prästerna som bar Herrens förbundsark framför sig. Den ena hälften av folket, främlingar såväl som infödda, stod vänd mot berget Gerissim och den andra hälften mot berget Ebal, i enlighet med vad Herrens tjänare Mose hade befallt, nämligen att man först skulle välsigna Israels folk. 34 Därefter läste han upp alla lagens ord, välsignelsen och förbannelsen, allt så som det var skrivet i lagboken. 35 Inte ett ord av allt det som Mose hade befallt underlät Josua att läsa upp inför Israels hela församling med kvinnor och barn och de främlingar som följde dem.
Joshua 8
New International Version
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
King James Version
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
English Standard Version
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
Svenska Folkbibeln (SFB)
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln
New International Version (NIV) 
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.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.