20-21. When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked.The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting.
22-24. Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them.The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there.
25-26. Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's twelve thousand people was dead.