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.
14. When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city.
15. Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert.
16. All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.
17. No men were left in Ai or Bethel; they all went out after Israel. They left the city wide open and chased Israel.
18. The Lord told Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city over to you.” So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand.
19. When he held out his hand, the men waiting in ambush rose up quickly from their place and attacked. They entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
20. When the men of Ai turned around, they saw the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.
21. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.