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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Joshua 8 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/joshua/8.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/joshua/8-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ISV</a> > Joshua 8</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../joshua/7.htm" title="Joshua 7">◄</a> Joshua 8 <a href="../joshua/9.htm" title="Joshua 9">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/joshua/8.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">The Destruction of Ai</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>The LORD then told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid or lose heart! Take all the fighting men with you, and go up right now to Ai. Take note that I have handed over the king of Ai into your control, along with his people, his city, and his land. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, but take its spoil and its livestock as war booty for yourselves. Set an ambush around the city.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>So Joshua and all of the fighting men prepared to go out against Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 valiant warriors and sent them out by night, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>telling them, “Pay attention now! You are to set up an ambush around the city. Don’t go very far from the city, and all of you remain on alert. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>I and all of the army with me will advance upon the city. When they come out after us like they did before, we’ll run away from them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>They’ll come after us until we’ve drawn them away from the city, because they’ll say, ‘They’re running away from us just like they did before.’ While we’re running away from them, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>you get up from the ambush and seize the city, because the LORD your God will give it into your control. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>When you’ve taken the city, set it on fire, just as the LORD ordered. Look! These are your orders!”<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:8 Lit. Look! I have commanded you!">a</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So Joshua sent them out, and they set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai.</p> <p class="reg">Joshua spent that night in the camp<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:9 The Heb. lacks in the camp">b</a></span> among the army. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>In the morning, Joshua got up early, mustered his army, and set off for Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel in full view of the army. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>The entire fighting force with him attacked, approaching the city, and camped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Taking about 5,000 men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai to the west of the city, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>stationing their forces with its main encampment north of the city and its rear guard to the west. Joshua spent that night in the valley.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>When the king of Ai saw what had happened,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:14 The Heb. lacks what had happened">c</a></span> he and his army quickly got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle. He and all his people met at the place adjacent to the desert plain. But he didn’t know about the ambush that had been set for him on the other side of the city. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Because Joshua and the entire fighting force of<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:15 The Heb. lacks fighting force of">d</a></span> Israel pretended to lose the battle by running away in front of them toward the wilderness, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>everyone in the city followed after them. As they pursued Joshua, they were drawn away from the town. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>There wasn’t a single man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t run out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Then the LORD told Joshua, “Stretch out the battle lance<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:18 Or the javelin">e</a></span> that’s in your hand toward Ai, because I will give it into your control.” So Joshua stretched out the battle lance<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:18 Or the javelin">f</a></span> that was in his hand toward the city. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>As soon as he stretched out his hand, the troops in ambush quickly got up from their place of hiding<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:19 The Heb. lacks of hiding">g</a></span> and attacked. They entered the city, seized it, and immediately set it<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:19 Lit. set the city">h</a></span> on fire.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Then the men of Ai looked back behind them—and all of a sudden!—smoke from the city was rising into the sky. They were unable to run in any direction, because the Israelis<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:20 Lit. people">i</a></span> who had fled toward the wilderness had turned around to attack their pursuers. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>When Joshua and the entire fighting force of<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:21 The Heb. lacks fighting force of">j</a></span> Israel observed that the men who had been in ambush had seized the city and that the smoke from the city was rising, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Then the others came out from the city against them, so the men of Ai<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:22 Lit. so they">k</a></span> were surrounded by the Israelis, some on one side and some on the other. Israel attacked them until no one was left to survive or escape. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>But the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>When Israel had completed executing all of the residents of Ai in the open wilderness where they had chased them, and after all of them—to the very last of them—had been killed by swords, the entire fighting force of<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:24 The Heb. lacks fighting force of">l</a></span> Israel returned to Ai and attacked it with swords. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>The total of all who fell that day, including men and women, was 12,000—the entire population of Ai. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Joshua did not cease his attack<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:26 Lit. his hand with which he had stretched out the battle lance">m</a></span> until he had completely destroyed every inhabitant of Ai. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Israel took only the livestock and the spoil of that city as their war booty, in accordance with what the LORD had commanded to Joshua. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>Joshua burned Ai, turning it into a permanent mound of ruins, and it remains so to this day. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until dusk, and at sunset Joshua ordered his body brought down from the tree and laid at the entrance to the gate of the town. There he raised over it a large mound of stones, which stands there to this day.<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:29 i.e. c. 1100 – 1000 BC">n</a></span> </p> <p class="heading">Joshua Renews the Covenant</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>just the way Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelis in the Book of the Law of Moses: “…an altar of uncut<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:31 Or whole">o</a></span> stones that hasn’t been worked with iron tools…”<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:31 Cf. Deut. 27:5b">p</a></span> and they offered burnt offerings to the LORD on it, along with peace offerings.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>There Joshua<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:32 Lit. he">q</a></span> inscribed on stones a copy of the Law of Moses that Moses had presented to<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:32 Lit. that he had written in the presence of">r</a></span> the Israelis. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>All Israel, both foreigners and citizens, together with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on opposite sides of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. Half stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half stood in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the LORD’s servant had commanded at the first, so that they could bless the people of Israel.<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:33 Cf. Deut 28:1-14">s</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>Afterwards, Joshua<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:34 Lit. he">t</a></span> read all the words of the Law—both the blessings and the curses—according to everything written in the Book of the Law.<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="8:34 Cf. Deut 27:1-28:68">u</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/joshua/8-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>There wasn’t one word of everything Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read in front of the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, their little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 8:8 Lit. <i>Look! I have commanded you!</i><br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 8:9 The Heb. lacks <i>in the camp</i><br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 8:14 The Heb. lacks <i>what had happened</i><br /><span class="fnb">d</span> 8:15 The Heb. lacks <i>fighting force of</i><br /><span class="fnb">e</span> 8:18 Or <i>the javelin</i><br /><span class="fnb">f</span> 8:18 Or <i>the javelin</i><br /><span class="fnb">g</span> 8:19 The Heb. lacks <i>of hiding</i><br /><span class="fnb">h</span> 8:19 Lit. <i>set the city</i><br /><span class="fnb">i</span> 8:20 Lit. <i>people</i><br /><span class="fnb">j</span> 8:21 The Heb. lacks <i>fighting force of</i><br /><span class="fnb">k</span> 8:22 Lit. <i>so they</i><br /><span class="fnb">l</span> 8:24 The Heb. lacks <i>fighting force of</i><br /><span class="fnb">m</span> 8:26 Lit. <i>his hand with which he had stretched out the battle lance</i><br /><span class="fnb">n</span> 8:29 i.e. c. 1100 – 1000 BC<br /><span class="fnb">o</span> 8:31 Or <i>whole</i><br /><span class="fnb">p</span> 8:31 Cf. Deut. 27:5b<br /><span class="fnb">q</span> 8:32 Lit. <i>he</i><br /><span class="fnb">r</span> 8:32 Lit. <i>that he had written in the presence of</i><br /><span class="fnb">s</span> 8:33 Cf. Deut 28:1-14<br /><span class="fnb">t</span> 8:34 Lit. <i>he</i><br /><span class="fnb">u</span> 8:34 Cf. 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