3. And they returned to Yehoshua and said to him, “Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai. Do not make all the people toil up there, for the people of Ai are few.”
4. And about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5. And the men of Ai smote about thirty-six men, for they pursued them from before the gate as far as Sheḇarim, and smote them on the descent. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6. And Yehoshua tore his garments, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of יהוה until evening, both he and the elders of Yisra’ĕl, and they put dust on their heads.
7. And Yehoshua said, “Oh Master יהוה, why have You brought this people over the Yardĕn at all, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay beyond the Yardĕn!
8. “O יהוה, what do I say when Yisra’ĕl turns its back before its enemies,
9. and the Kena‛anites and all the inhabitants of the land hear, and shall surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What then do You do for Your great Name?”
10. And יהוה said to Yehoshua, “Rise up! Why are you lying on your face?
11. “Yisra’ĕl has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of that which is under the ban, and have both stolen and deceived, and also put it among their own goods.
12. “And the sons of Yisra’ĕl shall not be able to stand before their enemies. They are going to turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I am not with you any more, unless you destroy that which is under the ban from your midst.
13. “Rise up, set the people apart, and you shall say, ‘Set yourselves apart for tomorrow, because thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “That which is under the ban is in your midst, O Yisra’ĕl. You are not able to stand before your enemies until you put away that which is under the ban out of your midst.”
14. ‘And you shall be brought near in the morning, according to your tribes. And it shall be, the tribe which יהוה takes comes according to clans. And the clan which יהוה takes comes by households. And the household which יהוה takes comes by men.
15. ‘And it shall be that he who is taken with that which is under the ban is burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of יהוה, and because he has committed wickedness in Yisra’ĕl.’ ”