I repeat,<n id="1" /> be strong and brave! Don&#8217;t be afraid and don&#8217;t panic,<n id="2" /> for I, the <sc>Lordsc> your God, am with you in all you do.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

Just as we obeyed<n id="1" /> Moses, so we will obey you. But<n id="2" /> may the <sc>Lordsc> 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<n id="1" /> from death.&#8221;

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

Then the two men returned &#8211; they came down from the hills, crossed the river,<n id="1" /> came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.<n id="1" /> They camped there before crossing the river.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the entire nation was on the other side,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua,

Have all the warriors march around the city one time;<n id="1" /> do this for six days.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city,<n id="1" /> including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

But they burned<n id="1" /> 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 <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s house.<n id="2" />

When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us<n id="1" /> from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed<n id="1" /> it before the <sc>Lordsc>.

<p class="bodytext">Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai.<n id="1" /> Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.

He told<n id="1" /> them, &#8220;Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don&#8217;t go very far from the city; all of you be ready!

I and all the troops<n id="1" /> 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.<n id="1" /> They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley.<n id="2" />

The army was in position &#8211; the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into<n id="1" /> the middle of the valley.p>

All the reinforcements<n id="1" /> in Ai<n id="2" /> were ordered<n id="3" /> to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.

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.

Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai.<n id="1" />