So the <sc>Lordsc> delivered Israel that day, and the battle shifted over to Beth Aven.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Blow the ram&#8217;s horn in Gibeah!p> <p class="poetry">Sound the trumpet in Ramah!p> <p class="poetry">Sound the alarm in Beth Aven!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Tremble in fear,<n id="2" /> O Benjamin!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Although you, O Israel, commit adultery,p> <p class="poetry">do not let Judah become guilty!p> <p class="poetry">Do not journey to Gilgal!p> <p class="poetry">Do not go up to Beth Aven!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not swear, &#8220;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The inhabitants<n id="1" /> of Samaria will lament<n id="2" /> over the calf idol<n id="3" /> of Beth Aven.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Its people will mourn over it;p> <p class="poetry">its idolatrous priests will wail<n id="5" /> over it,<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">because its splendor will be taken from them<n id="7" /> into exile.p>

<p class="bodytext">Joshua sent men from Jericho<n id="1" /> to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel<n id="2" />) and instructed them, &#8220;Go up and spy on the land.&#8221; So the men went up and spied on Ai.

Their northern border started at the Jordan, went up to the slope of Jericho<n id="1" /> on the north, ascended westward to the hill country, and extended to the desert of Beth Aven.

<p class="bodytext">For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000<n id="1" /> chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.