NASB — Joshua 8 — KJV

The Conquest of Ai

1 Now the LORD° said° to Joshua°, “aDo not fear° or be dismayed°. Take° all° the people° of war° with you and arise°, go° up to Ai°; see°, bI have given° into your hand° the king° of Ai°, his people°, his city°, and his land°. 2 You shall do° to Ai° and its king° just° as you did° to Jericho° and its king°; you shall atake° only° its spoil° and its cattle° as plunder° for yourselves. ISet° an ambush° for the city° behind°° it.”

[1] aJsh 1:9; 10:8 bJsh 6:2
[2] ILit Set for yourself aDt 20:14; Jsh 8:27

3 ¶ So Joshua° rose° with all° the people° of war° to go° up to Ai°; and Joshua° chose° 30,000°° men°, valiant° warriors°, and sent° them out at night°. 4 He commanded° them, saying°, “See°, you are agoing to ambush° the city° from behind° Iit. 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 when° they come° out to meet° us as at the first°, awe will flee° before° them. 6 They will come° out after° us until° we have drawn° them away° from the city°, for they will say°, ‘[They] are fleeing° before° us as at the first°.’ So we will flee° before° them. 7 And you shall rise° from [your] ambush° and take° possession° of the city°, for the LORD° your God° will deliver° it into your hand°. 8 Then it will be when you have seized° the city°, that you shall set° the city° on fire°. You shall do° [it] aaccording to the word° of the LORD°. See°, I have commanded° you.” 9 So Joshua° sent° them away°, and they went° to the place of ambush° and remained° between° Bethel° and Ai°, on the west° side° of Ai°; but Joshua° spent° that night° among° the people°.

[4] ILit the city aJg 20:29
[5] aJg 20:32
[8] aDt 20:16-18; Jsh 8:2

10 ¶ Now Joshua° arose° early° in the morning° and mustered° the people°, and he went° up with the elders° of Israel° before° the people° to Ai°. 11 Then all° the people° of war° who° [were] with him went° up and drew° near° and arrived° in front° of the city°, and camped° on the north° side° of Ai°. Now [there was] a valley° between° him and Ai°. 12 And he took° about 5,000°° men° and set° them in ambush° between° aBethel° and Ai°, on the west° side° of the Icity°. 13 So they stationed° the people°, all° the army° that was on the north° side° of the city°, and its rear° guard° on the west° side° of the city°, and Joshua° spent° that night° in the midst° of the valley°. 14 It came° about when the king° of Ai° saw° [it], that the men° of the city° hurried° and rose° up early° and went° out to meet° Israel° in battle°, he and all° his people° at the appointed° place° before° the desert° plain°. But he did not know° that [there was] an ambush° against him behind°° the city°. 15 Joshua° and all° Israel° pretended° to be beaten° before° them, and fled° aby the way° of the wilderness°. 16 And all° the people° who° were in the city° were called° together° to pursue° them, and they pursued° Joshua° and awere drawn° away° from the city°. 17 So not a man° was left° in Ai° or Bethel° who° had not gone° out after° Israel°, and they left° the city° Iunguarded° and pursued° Israel°.

[10] aGn 22:3
[12] II.e. Ai aGn 12:8; 28:19; Jg 1:22
[15] aJsh 15:61; 16:1; 18:12
[16] aJg 20:31
[17] ILit open

18 ¶ Then the LORD° said° to Joshua°, “aStretch° out the javelin° that is in your hand° toward° Ai°, for I will give° it into your hand°.” So Joshua° stretched° out the javelin° that was in his hand° toward° the city°. 19 The [men in] ambush° rose° quickly° from their place°, and when he had stretched° out his hand°, they ran° and entered° the city° and captured° it, and they quickly° set° the city° on fire°. 20 When the men° of Ai° turned° Iback° and looked°, behold°, the smoke° of the city° ascended° to the sky°, and they had° no° place° to flee° this° way° or that, for the people° who had been fleeing° to the wilderness° turned° against° the pursuers°. 21 When Joshua° and all° Israel° saw° that the [men in] ambush° had captured° the city° and that the smoke° of the city° ascended°, they turned° back° and Islew° the men° of Ai°. 22 IThe others° came° out from the city° to encounter° them, so that they were [trapped] in the midst° of Israel°, IIsome° on this° side° and some° on that side°; and they IIIslew° them until° ano° one was left° IVof those who° survived° or escaped°. 23 But they took° alive° the king° of Ai° and brought° him to Joshua°.

[18] aEx 14:16; 17:9-13; Jsh 8:26
[20] ILit behind them
[21] ILit smote
[22] ILit These came IILit these...those IIILit smote IVLit for it aJsh 8:8

24 ¶ Now when Israel° had finished° killing° all° the inhabitants° of Ai° in the field° in the wilderness° where° they pursued° them, and all° of them were fallen° by the edge° of the sword° until° they were destroyed°, then all° Israel° returned° to Ai° and struck° it with the edge° of the sword°. 25 aAll° who fell° that day°, both° men° and women°, were 12,000°°°—all° the Ipeople° of Ai°. 26 For Joshua° adid not withdraw° his hand° with which° he stretched° out the javelin° until° he had Iutterly° destroyed° all° the inhabitants° of Ai°. 27 aIsrael° took° only° the cattle° and the spoil° of that city° as plunder° for themselves, according to the word° of the LORD° which° He had commanded° Joshua°. 28 So Joshua° burned° Ai° and made° it aa heap° forever°, a desolation° until° this° day°. 29 aHe hanged° the king° of Ai° on a tree° until° evening°; and at sunset°° Joshua° gave° command° and they took° his body° down° from the tree° and threw° it at the entrance° of the city° gate°, and raised° over° it a great° heap° of stones° [that stands] to this° day°.

[25] ILit men aDt 20:16-18
[26] IOr put under the ban aEx 17:11, 12
[27] aJsh 8:2
[28] aDt 13:16
[29] aDt 21:22, 23

30 ¶ Then° Joshua° built° an altar° to the LORD°, the God° of Israel°, in aMount° Ebal°, 31 just° as Moses° the servant° of the LORD° had commanded° the sons° of Israel°, as it is written° in the book° of the law° of Moses°, aan altar° of uncut° stones° on which° no° man had wielded° an iron° [tool]; and they offered° burnt° offerings° on it to the LORD°, and sacrificed° peace° offerings°. 32 He awrote° there° on the stones° a copy° of the law° of Moses°, which° Ihe had written°, in the presence° of the sons° of Israel°. 33 aAll° Israel° with their elders° and officers° and their judges° were standing° on both°° sides°° of the ark° before° the Levitical° priests° who carried° the ark° of the covenant° of the LORD°, the stranger° as well as the native°. Half° of them [stood] in front° of bMount° Gerizim° and half° of them in front° of Mount° Ebal°, just° as Moses° the servant° of the LORD° had given° command° at first° to bless° the people° of Israel°. 34 Then afterward°° he read° all° the words° of the law°, the blessing° and the curse°, according to all° that is written° in athe 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° awith the women° and the little° ones° and the strangers° who were Iliving° among° them.

[30] aDt 27:2-8
[31] aEx 20:25
[32] II.e. Moses aDt 27:2, 3, 8
[33] aDt 27:11-14 bDt 11:29
[34] aJsh 1:8
[35] ILit walking aEx 12:38; Dt 31:12; Zc 8:23


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God encourageth Joshua.

1 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Joshua,º Fearºª not,² neither² be thou dismayed:ºª takeºª² all² the peopleº of warº with² thee, and arise,ºª go upºª to Ai:º see,ºª I have givenºª into thy handº² the kingº of Ai,º and his people,º and his city,º and his land:º 2 And thou shalt doºª to Aiº and her kingº as² thou didstºª unto Jerichoº and her king:º only² the spoilº thereof, and the cattleº thereof, shall ye take for a preyºª unto yourselves: layºª thee an ambushºª for the cityº behindº² it.

[1] Dt 1:21; 7:18; 31:8; Jsh 1:9; 6:2; 7:6, 9; 8:12, 25; Ps 27:1; 44:3; 46:11; Is 12:2; 41:10; 43:2; Jr 46:27; Dn 2:21, 37; 4:25, 35; Mt 8:26.
[2] Dt 3:2; 20:14; Jsh 6:21; 8:7, 9, 12, 14, 19, 24, 27, 28; 10:1, 28; Jg 20:29; 2Ch 13:13; 20:22; Jb 27:16; Ps 39:6; Pv 13:22; 28:20; Jr 17:11; 51:12; Lk 12:20.

The stratagem whereby Ai was taken.

3 ¶ So Joshuaº arose,ºª and all² the peopleº of war,º to go upºª against Ai:º and Joshuaº chose outºª thirtyº thousandº mightyº menº of valour,º and sent them awayºª by night.º 4 And he commandedºª them, saying,ºª Behold,ºª ye² shall lie in waitºª against the city,º [even] behindº² the city:º goºª not² veryº far¹ª from² the city,º but be² ye all² ready:ºª 5 And I,² and all² the peopleº that² [are] with² me, will approachºª unto² the city:º and it shall come to pass,² when² they come outºª againstºª us, as² at the first,º that we will fleeºª beforeº them, 6 (For they will come outºª afterº us) till² we have drawnºª them from² the city;º for² they will say,ºª They fleeºª beforeº us, as² at the first:º therefore we will fleeºª beforeº them. 7 Then ye² shall rise upºª from the ambush,ºª² and seize¹ª upon²² the city:º for the LORDº your Godº will deliverºª it into your hand.º 8 And it shall be,² when ye have takenºª² the city,º [that] ye shall setºª² the cityº on fire:º according to the commandmentº of the LORDº shall ye do.ºª See,ºª I have commandedºª you.

[3] Mt 24:39, 50; 25:6; 1Th 5:2; 2P 3:10.
[4] Jsh 8:16; Jg 9:25; 20:29, 33, 36; 1S 15:2, 5; Ec 7:19; 9:16; Ac 23:21.
[5] Jsh 7:5; Jg 20:31; Mt 10:16.
[6] Ex 14:3; 15:9; Jsh 8:16; Jg 20:32; Ec 8:11; 9:12.
[7] Jsh 8:1; 2K 5:1; Pv 21:30.
[8] Jsh 1:9, 16; 6:24; 8:28; Jg 4:6; 2S 13:28.

9 ¶ Joshuaº therefore sent them forth:ºª and they went¹ª² to² lie in ambush,º and abodeºª between² Bethelº and Ai,º on the west sideº² of Ai:º but Joshuaº lodgedºª that² nightº amongº the people.º 10 And Joshuaº rose up earlyºª in the morning,º and numberedºª² the people,º and went up,ºª he² and the eldersº of Israel,º beforeº the peopleº to Ai.º 11 And all² the people,º [even the people] of warº that² [were] with² him, went up,ºª and drew nigh,ºª and cameºª before² the city,º and pitchedºª on the north sideº² of Ai:º now [there was] a valleyº between² them and Ai.º 12 And he tookºª about fiveº thousandº men,º and setºª them to lie in ambushºª between² Bethelº and Ai,º on the west sideº² of the city.º¹ª 13 And when they had setºª the people,º [even]² all² the hostº that² [was] on the northº² of the city,º and their liers in waitº on the westº² of the city,º Joshuaº went¹ª² that² nightº into the midstº of the valley.º

[9] Gn 12:8; 32:21; Jsh 7:2; 8:12; Ezr 2:28; Ne 7:32.
[10] Jsh 3:1; 6:12; 7:16; Ps 119:60.
[11] Jsh 8:1.
[12] Jsh 8:2.
[13] Jsh 8:4, 8, 12.

14 ¶ And it came to pass,² when the kingº of Aiº sawºª [it], that they hastedºª and rose up early,ºª and the men¹² of the cityº went outºª againstºª Israelº to battle,º he² and all² his people,º at a time appointed,º beforeº the plain;º but he² wistºª not² that² [there were] liers in ambushºª against him behindº² the city.º 15 And Joshuaº and all² Israelº made as if they were beatenºª beforeº them, and fledºª by the wayº of the wilderness.º 16 And all² the peopleº that² [were] in Aiºª¹ were called¹ª together² to pursueºª afterº them: and they pursuedºª afterº Joshua,º and were drawn awayºª from² the city.º 17 And there was not² a manº leftºª in Aiº or Bethel,º that² went not outºª² afterº Israel:º and they leftºª² the cityº open,ºª and pursuedºª after² Israel.º 18 And the LORDº saidºª unto² Joshua,º Stretch outºª the spearº that² [is] in thy handº toward² Ai;º for² I will giveºª it into thine hand.º And Joshuaº stretched outºª the spearº that² [he had] in his handº toward² the city.º 19 And the ambushºª aroseºª quicklyº out of their place,º² and they ranºª as soon as he had stretched outºª his hand:º and they enteredºª into the city,º and tookºª it, and hastedºª and setºª² the cityº on fire.º 20 And when the men¹² of Aiº lookedºª behindº them, they saw,ºª and, behold,² the smokeº of the cityº ascended upºª to heaven,º and they had² no² powerº to fleeºª this way² or that way:º and the peopleº that fledºª to the wildernessº turned backºª upon² the pursuers.ºª 21 And when Joshuaº and all² Israelº sawºª that² the ambushºª had takenºª² the city,º and that² the smokeº of the cityº ascended,ºª then they turned again,ºª and slewºª² the men¹² of Ai.º 22 And the otherº issued outºª of² the cityº againstºª them; so they were² in the midstº of Israel,º some² on this side,²² and some² on that side:²² and they smoteºª them, so² that¹ they let¹ª none² of them remain¹² or escape.º 23 And the kingº of Aiº they tookºª alive,º and broughtºª him to² Joshua.º 24 And it came to pass,² when Israelº had made an endºª of slayingºª² all² the inhabitantsºª of Aiº in the field,º in the wildernessº wherein² they chasedºª them, and when they were all² fallenºª on the edgeº of the sword,º until² they were consumed,ºª that all² the Israelitesº returnedºª unto Ai,º and smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword.º 25 And [so] it was,² [that] all² that fellºª that² day,º both of menº² and women,º [were] twelveºº thousand,º [even] all² the men¹² of Ai.º 26 For Joshuaº drewºª not² his handº back,¹ª wherewith² he stretched outºª the spear,º until²² he had utterly destroyedºª² all² the inhabitantsºª of Ai.º 27 Only² the cattleº and the spoilº of that² cityº Israelº took for a preyºª unto themselves, according unto the wordº of the LORDº which² he commandedºª² Joshua.º 28 And Joshuaº burntºª² Ai,º and madeºª it an heapº for ever,º [even] a desolationº unto² this² day.º

[14] Jsh 8:5, 16; Jg 20:34; Ec 9:12; Is 19:11, 13; Dn 4:31; Mt 24:39, 50; 1Th 5:1; 2P 2:3.
[15] Jsh 18:12.
[16] Jsh 8:5; Jg 20:31, 36; Ps 9:16; Ezk 38:11; Rv 16:14; 19:19.
[17] Dt 2:30; Jsh 8:3, 24; 11:20; Jb 5:13; Is 19:11.
[18] Ex 8:5; 17:11; Jsh 8:7, 26; 1S 17:6, 41, 45; Jb 15:25; 39:23.
[19] Jsh 8:6.
[20] Gn 19:28; Jb 11:20; Ps 48:5; 76:5; Is 34:10; Am 2:14; Rv 6:15; 18:9; 19:3.
[22] Dt 7:2; Jsh 6:21; 10:28; 11:11; Jb 20:5; Lk 17:26; 1Th 5:3.
[23] Jsh 8:29; 10:17; 1S 15:8; Rv 19:20.
[24] Nu 21:24; Jsh 8:16; 10:30; 11:10.
[26] Ex 17:11; Jsh 8:18.
[27] Nu 31:22, 26; Jsh 8:2; 11:4; Ps 50:10; Mt 20:15.
[28] Dt 13:16; Jsh 4:9; 2K 19:25; Is 17:1; 25:2; Jr 9:11; 49:2; 50:26; Mi 3:12.

The king thereof is hanged.

29 And the kingº of Aiº he hangedºª on² a treeº until² eventide:ºº and as soon as the sunº was down,ºª Joshuaº commandedºª that they should take¹ª his carcase¹ downºª²² from² the tree,º and castºª it at² the enteringº of the gateº of the city,º and raiseºª thereon² a greatº heapº of stones,º [that remaineth] unto² this² day.º

[29] Dt 21:22; Jsh 7:26; 10:26, 27, 30, 33; 2S 18:17; Es 7:10; Ps 107:40; 110:5; Ac 12:23; Rv 19:17.

Joshua buildeth an altar,

30 ¶ Then² Joshuaº builtºª an altarº unto the LORDº Godº of Israelº in mountº Ebal,º 31 As² Mosesº the servantº of the LORDº commandedºª² the childrenº of Israel,º as it is writtenºª in the bookº of the lawº of Moses,º an altarº of wholeº stones,º over² which² no² man hath lift upºª [any] iron:º and they offeredºª thereon² burnt offeringsº unto the LORD,º and sacrificedºª peace offerings.º

[30] Gn 8:20; 12:7; Dt 11:29; 27:1; Jsh 8:33.
[31] Ex 18:12; 20:24; 24:5; Dt 27:5, 6; Jsh 1:8; 8:34; 1K 18:31; 2K 14:6; 22:8; 2Ch 25:4; 35:12; Ezr 6:18; Ne 13:1; Mt 12:26.

writeth the Law on stones,

32 ¶ And he wroteºª there² upon² the stonesº² a copyº of the lawº of Moses,º which² he wroteºª in the presenceº of the childrenº of Israel.º 33 And all² Israel,º and their elders,º and officers,ºª and their judges,ºª stoodºª on this side²² the arkº and on that side²² before² the priestsº the Levites,º which bareºª the arkº of the covenantº of the LORD,º as well the stranger,º as he that was born¹ among them;² halfº of them overº againstº mountº Gerizim,º and halfº of them over² againstº mountº Ebal;º as² Mosesº the servantº of the LORDº had commandedºª before,º that they should blessºª² the peopleº of Israel.º

[32] Dt 27:2, 8.
[33] Ex 12:49; Lv 24:22; Nu 15:16, 29; Dt 11:29; 27:12; 29:10; 31:9, 12, 25; Jsh 3:3, 6, 14; 4:10, 18; 6:6; 8:30; 23:2; 24:1; 1Ch 15:11.

propoundeth blessings and cursings.

34 And afterwardº² he readºª² all² the wordsº of the law,º the blessingsº and cursings,º according to all² that is writtenºª in the bookº of the law.º 35 There was² not² a wordº of all²² that² Mosesº commanded,ºª which² Joshuaº readºª not² before² all² the congregationº of Israel,º with the women,º and the little² ones,¹ and the strangersº that were conversantºª amongº them.

[34] Lv 26:1; Dt 27:14; 28:1; 29:20; 30:15; 31:10; Ne 8:2; 9:3; 13:1.
[35] Dt 4:2; 29:11; 31:12; Jsh 8:33; Ezr 10:1; Ne 8:2; Jr 26:2; Jol 2:16; Mk 10:14; Ac 20:27; 21:5.


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