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.

the men of Bethel and Ai: 223;

the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

Some of the descendants of Benjamin settled in Geba, Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages,

They attacked Aiath, moved through Migron, depositing their supplies at Micmash.

So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.

But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanently uninhabited mound (it remains that way to this very day).

When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai,

the king of Jericho (one), the king of Ai – located near Bethel – (one),

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.

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.

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.

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (they all fell by the sword), all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it.

Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho and its king. He also heard how the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them.

And he journeyed from place to place from the Negev as far as Bethel. He returned to the place where he had pitched his tent at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai.

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!”

Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.

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.

He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai.