8. “You must do what the Lord says. Watch me and I will give you the command to attack the city. When you have taken control of the city, burn it.”
9. Then Joshua sent them to their hiding place and waited. They went to a place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his people.
10. Early the next morning Joshua gathered the men together. Then Joshua and the leaders of Israel led the men to Ai.
11. All the soldiers who were with Joshua marched to Ai. They stopped in front of the city. The army made its camp north of the city. There was a valley between the army and Ai.
12. Then Joshua chose about 5000 men. He sent these men to hide in the area west of the city, between Bethel and Ai.
13. So Joshua had prepared his men for the fight. The main camp was north of the city. The other men were hiding to the west. That night Joshua went down into the valley.
14. Later, the king of Ai saw the army of Israel. The king and his people hurried out to fight the army of Israel. The king of Ai went out the east side of the city toward the Jordan Valley, so he did not see the soldiers hiding behind the city.
15. Joshua and all the men of Israel let the army of Ai push them back. Joshua and his men began running east toward the desert.
16. The people in the city began to shout and started to chase them. All the people left the city.
17. All the men of Ai and Bethel chased the army of Israel. The city was left open—no one stayed to protect the city.
18. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold your spear toward the city of Ai, because I will give you that city.” So Joshua held his spear toward the city of Ai.
19. When the Israelites who were hiding saw this, they quickly came out from their hiding place and hurried toward the city. They entered the city and took control of it. Then the soldiers started fires to burn the city.
20. The men from Ai looked back and saw their city burning. When they saw the smoke rising into the sky, they lost their strength and courage. They stopped chasing the men of Israel. The Israelites stopped running away. They turned and went to fight the men from Ai. There was no safe place for the men from Ai to run to.