1. The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Take the whole army with you and march against Ai! See, I am handing over to you the king of Ai, along with his people, city, and land.
2. Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king, except you may plunder its goods and cattle. Set an ambush behind the city!”
3. Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.
4. He told them, “Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city; all of you be ready!
5. I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.
6. They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are retreating from us like before.’ We will retreat from them.
7. Then you rise up from your hiding place and seize the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you.
8. When you capture the city, set it on fire. Do as the Lord says! See, I have given you orders.”
9. Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent that night with the army.
10. Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai.
11. All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley.
12. He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai.
13. The army was in position – the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley.