Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not make all the people go up [to fight]; have only about two thousand or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the entire army go up there, for they [of Ai] are few.”

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land.

And you are to do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king: but their goods and their cattle you may take for yourselves: let a secret force be stationed to make a surprise attack on the town from the back.

So Joshua and the whole military force set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 fighting men and sent them out at night.

They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, 'They are retreating from us like before.' We will retreat from them.

And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai.

Then the men of Ai looked back behind them and all of a sudden! smoke from the city was rising into the sky. They were unable to run in any direction, because the Israelis who had fled toward the wilderness had turned around to attack their pursuers.

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the town had been taken by the surprise attack, and that the smoke of the town had gone up, turning round they overcame the men of Ai.

Joshua did not cease his attack until he had completely destroyed every inhabitant of Ai.

But the {Israelites} did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured {against their leaders}.

"Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the {Israelites}."

So Joshua, having come up from Gilgal all night, made a sudden attack on them.

But do not stay [there]; pursue after your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not allow them to go into their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand."

Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Makkedah and came to Libnah, and made an attack on it;

Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Libnah to Lachish, and took up their position against it and made an attack on it,

And Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Lachish to Eglon: and they took up their position against it and made an attack on it;

And Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and made an attack on it;

And Joshua and all Israel with him went on to make an attack on Debir;

All these kings joined forces; they came together and camped at the waters of Merom to attack Israel.

So Joshua and all the men of war with him came against them suddenly at the waters of Merom, and made an attack on them.

for the Lord determined to make them obstinate so they would attack Israel. He wanted Israel to annihilate them without mercy, as he had instructed Moses.

Then he went up from there to attack the inhabitants of Debir. (Debir was formerly known as Kiriath-sepher.)

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

What they said pleased the people of Israel, so they blessed God and said no more about going up to attack them in war and to destroy the land where the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad were living.

Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment on you.