All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city.<n id="1" /> They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley.<n id="2" />

When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke,<n id="1" /> they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.

&#8220;Come to my aid<n id="1" /> so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.&#8221;

Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army<n id="1" /> until no survivors remained.p>

My countrymen<n id="1" /> who accompanied<n id="2" /> me frightened the people,<n id="3" /> but I remained loyal to the <sc>Lordsc> my God.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The land allotted to Joseph&#8217;s descendants extended from the Jordan at Jericho<n id="1" /> to the waters of Jericho to the east, through the desert and on up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The first lot belonged to the tribe of Benjamin<n id="1" /> by its clans. Their allotted territory was between Judah and Joseph.<n id="2" />

Their border went up westward to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth and the valley near<n id="1" /> Jokneam.

From Sarid it turned eastward<n id="1" /> to the territory of Kisloth Tabor, extended to Daberath, and went up to Japhia.

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the <sc>Lordsc> came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land,<n id="1" /> the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage.<n id="2" />p>

When you hear the signal from the ram&#8217;s horn,<n id="1" /> have the whole army give a loud battle cry.<n id="2" /> Then the city wall will collapse<n id="3" /> and the warriors should charge straight ahead.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The rams&#8217; horns sounded<n id="1" /> and when the army<n id="2" /> heard the signal,<n id="3" /> they gave a loud battle cry.<n id="4" /> The wall collapsed<n id="5" /> and the warriors charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.<n id="6" />

<p class="bodytext">Joshua tore his clothes;<n id="1" /> he and the leaders<n id="2" /> of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> until evening<n id="3" /> and threw dirt on their heads.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid and don&#8217;t panic!<n id="1" /> Take the whole army with you and march against Ai!<n id="2" /> See, I am handing over to you<n id="3" /> the king of Ai, along with his people, city, and land.

When the men of Ai turned around, they saw<n id="1" /> the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction.<n id="2" /> In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.

just as Moses the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant had commanded the Israelites. As described in the law scroll of Moses, it was made with uncut stones untouched by an iron tool.<n id="1" /> They offered burnt sacrifices on it and sacrificed tokens of peace.<n id="2" />

So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, &#8220;Do not abandon<n id="1" /> your subjects!<n id="2" /> Rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us.&#8221;<n id="3" />

from Mount Halak on up to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and executed them.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley to Mount Halak on up to Seir. Joshua assigned this territory to the Israelite tribes,<n id="1" />