5. I and the men who are with me will march toward the city. The men in the city will come out to fight us. Then we will turn and run away from them as we did before.
6. They will chase us away from the city. They will think we are running away from them as we did before. When we run away,
7. come out from your ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give you the power to win.
8. After you take the city, burn it. See to it! You have your orders.”
9. Then Joshua sent them to their place of ambush to wait. They went to a place between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his people.
10. Early the next morning Joshua gathered his men together. He and the older leaders of Israel led them to Ai.
11. All of the soldiers who were with Joshua marched to Ai. They stopped in front of the city and made camp north of Ai. There was a valley between them and the city.
12. Then Joshua chose about 5,000 men. He set them in ambush in the area west of the city between Bethel and Ai.