⁴with these orders: “Set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far away from the city. Everyone must be ready. ⁵I’ll approach the city with the rest of the troops. When they come out to attack us as they did the first time, we will run away from them. ⁶They’ll come out after us, and we will lure them away from the city. They’ll say, ‘They’re running away from us just like the first time.’ As we run away from them, ⁷you come out of hiding and capture the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. ⁸When you have captured the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord says. These are your orders.”

⁹So Joshua sent them out, and they hid. They took their position west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent the night with the troops.

¹⁰Joshua got up early in the morning and assembled the troops. Then he and the leaders of Israel led the army to Ai. ¹¹All the troops with him marched until they were near the city. They camped north of Ai with the ravine between them and Ai.

¹²Joshua had taken about five thousand men and had them hide between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

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