Joshua 8:4–12

⁴He commanded them, saying, “See, you are ^agoing to ambush the city from behind ¹it. 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.”

⁹So 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.

¹⁰Now Joshua ^arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai.

¹¹Then 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.

¹²And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between ^aBethel and Ai, on the west side of the ¹city.