The leaders then added, ¹  “Let them live.” So they became ²  woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had decided. ³ 

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ¹  and defeated them on the steep slope. ²  The people’s ³  courage melted away like water. ⁴ 

The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.

When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. ¹  I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!”

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. ¹  The whole community criticized ²  the leaders,

The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn ¹  their chariots.”

Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered ¹  their land and I destroyed them from before you.

Meanwhile ¹  the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River ²  near the fords. ³  The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. ⁴ 

He replaced them with their sons, ¹  whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way.

Whenever the Israelites were strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them. ¹ 

That day Joshua drew up an agreement ¹  for the people, and he established rules and regulations ²  for them in Shechem.

Our leaders and all who live in our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them, “We are willing to be your subjects. ¹  Make a treaty with us.”’

Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. ¹ 

Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert.

Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned ¹  their chariots.

When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them. ¹ 

They went ¹  to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them ²  to return. Their pursuers ³  looked all along the way but did not find them. ⁴ 

Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. ¹  Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.

All the reinforcements ¹  in Ai ²  were ordered ³  to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.

So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old.