You will see the land before you, but you will not enter the land that I am giving to the Israelites.”

Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.

Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it, but you will not cross over there.”

He did all the signs and wonders the Lord had sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, all his servants, and the whole land,

I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.

Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.

I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

Just as we obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. But may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses!

that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and rescue us from death.”

Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe.

He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’

This is why Joshua had to circumcise them: All the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt died on the journey through the desert after they left Egypt.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

But they burned the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the Lord’s house.

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.

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 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.

No men were left in Ai or Bethel; they all went out after Israel. They left the city wide open and chased Israel.

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua.