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.