11. All of the soldiers who were with Joshua marched up to Ai and stopped in front of the city and made camp north of it. There was a valley between them and the city.
12. Then Joshua chose about five thousand men and set them in ambush in the area west of the city between Bethel and Ai.
13. So the people took their positions; the main camp was north of the city, and the other men were hiding to the west. That night Joshua went down into the valley.
14. Now when the king of Ai saw the army of Israel, he and his people got up early the next morning and hurried out to fight them. They went out to a place east of the city, but the king did not know soldiers were waiting in ambush behind the city.
15. Joshua and all the men of Israel let the army of Ai push them back. Then they ran toward the desert.
16. The men in Ai were called to chase Joshua and his men, so they left the city and went after them.
17. All the men of Ai and Bethel chased the army of Israel. The city was left open; not a man stayed to protect it.
18. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold your spear toward Ai, because I will give you that city.” So Joshua held his spear toward the city of Ai.