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.

All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.

Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai.

Then Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll.

They told him, “Your subjects have come from a very distant land because of the reputation of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt

and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.

The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. The whole community criticized the leaders,

Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites.

That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish.

Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

All these kings gathered and joined forces at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds, except for Hazor; it was the only one Joshua burned.

the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites.) Moses defeated them and took their lands.

The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh and there they set up the tent of meeting. Though they had subdued the land,

The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors, and they conquered it and lived in it.

and told them: “You have carried out all the instructions of Moses the Lord’s servant, and you have obeyed all I have told you.

Now today you dare to turn back from following the Lord! You are rebelling today against the Lord; tomorrow he may break out in anger against the entire community of Israel.

You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you.

Be very strong! Carefully obey all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left,