Study Desk

So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.

And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.

26 Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor [fn] to this day.

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.

So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 let none of them remain or escape.

So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand--all the people of Ai.

So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.

Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?"

So they said to him: "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

So they answered Joshua and said, "Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it--as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king--and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,

So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.