They returned and reported to Joshua, ¹  “Don’t send the whole army. ²  About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. ³  Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.” ⁴ 

But if your own land ¹  is impure, ²  cross over to the Lord’s own land, ³  where the Lord himself lives, ⁴  and settle down among us. ⁵  But don’t rebel against the Lord or us ⁶  by building for yourselves an altar aside from the altar of the Lord our God.

Yet Joshua spared ¹  Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, ²  and all who belonged to her. She lives in Israel ³  to this very day because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. ⁴ 

At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. ¹  The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees.

I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, ¹  all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.” ² 

extended ¹  south of the Scorpion Ascent, ²  crossed to Zin, went up from the south to Kadesh Barnea, crossed to Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka.

It went northward, extending to En Shemesh and Geliloth opposite the Pass ¹  of Adummim, and descended to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

The Lord made them secure, ¹  in fulfillment of all he had solemnly promised their ancestors. ²  None of their enemies could resist them. ³ 

We swear we have done this because we were worried that ¹  in the future your descendants would say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel? ² 

Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform miraculous deeds among you.”

Now Jericho ¹  was shut tightly ²  because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. ³ 

Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. ¹ 

He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel ¹  and Ai.

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

Joshua captured in one campaign ¹  all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

Now, divide up this land ¹  among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Manasseh was allotted ten shares of land, ¹  in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,

It then turned on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.

Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel ¹  was left unfulfilled; every one was realized. ² 

I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. ¹  Then I brought you out.