Thematic Bible: Ambushes, at ai
Thematic Bible
Armies » March in ranks » Stratagems » Ambushes, at ai
so shalt thou do unto Ai and to her king, as thou didst unto Jericho unto her king, save only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof, shall ye take as your own prey, - set thee an ambush for the city, behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai, - and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valour, and sent them forth by night. And he commanded them, saying - See! ye, shall be lying in ambush against the city, behind the city, do not go very far from the city, - so shall ye all be ready. read more.
But, I, and all the people who are with me, will draw near unto the city, - and it shall be, when they come out to meet us, as at the first, then will we flee before them; so will they come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, Fleeing before us, as at the first! therefore will we flee before them. Then, ye, shall rise up out of the ambush, and take possession of the city, - and Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have seized the city, then shall ye burn the city with fire, according to the word of Yahweh, shall ye do, - see! I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them forth, and they went into ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai, - but Joshua lodged that night in the midst of the people. And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, - and went up - he and the elders of Israel, before the people, to Ai. And, all the people of war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came in, right before the city, - and pitched on the north of Ai, with, a valley, between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, - and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city. And, when the people had set all the host that was on the north of the city, with the rear thereof on the west of the city, then went Joshua, during the night, into the midst of the valley. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted, and rose up early, and the men of the city came out to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at an appointed time, before the waste plain, - he not knowing that there was an ambush lying in wait for him, behind the city. So then Joshua and all Israel suffered themselves to be smitten before them, - and fled, by the way of the wilderness; and all the people who were in the city were called out to pursue them, - and they pursued Joshua, and so were drawn out away from the city. And there remained not a man, in Ai or Bethel, who had not gone out after Israel, - and they left the city, open, and pursued Israel. Then said Yahweh unto Joshua - Stretch out with the javelin which is in thy hand, towards Ai, for, into thy hand, will I deliver it. So Joshua stretched out with the javelin which was in his hand, towards the city. And, the ambush, rose up quickly, out of their place, and ran, when he stretched out his hand, and entered the city, and captured it, - and hasted, and set the city on fire. And the men of Ai turned behind them, and looked, and lo! the smoke of the city had risen up towards the heavens, and there was in them no strength, to flee this way or that way, - moreover, the people that were fleeing to the wilderness, turned back upon the pursuers. Yea, when, Joshua and all Israel, saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city had risen up, then returned they, and smote the men of Ai. And, the others, came forth out of the city to meet them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side, - and they smote them, until there was left them none to remain or to escape.
But, I, and all the people who are with me, will draw near unto the city, - and it shall be, when they come out to meet us, as at the first, then will we flee before them; so will they come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, Fleeing before us, as at the first! therefore will we flee before them. Then, ye, shall rise up out of the ambush, and take possession of the city, - and Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have seized the city, then shall ye burn the city with fire, according to the word of Yahweh, shall ye do, - see! I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them forth, and they went into ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai, - but Joshua lodged that night in the midst of the people. And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, - and went up - he and the elders of Israel, before the people, to Ai. And, all the people of war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came in, right before the city, - and pitched on the north of Ai, with, a valley, between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, - and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city. And, when the people had set all the host that was on the north of the city, with the rear thereof on the west of the city, then went Joshua, during the night, into the midst of the valley. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted, and rose up early, and the men of the city came out to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at an appointed time, before the waste plain, - he not knowing that there was an ambush lying in wait for him, behind the city. So then Joshua and all Israel suffered themselves to be smitten before them, - and fled, by the way of the wilderness; and all the people who were in the city were called out to pursue them, - and they pursued Joshua, and so were drawn out away from the city. And there remained not a man, in Ai or Bethel, who had not gone out after Israel, - and they left the city, open, and pursued Israel. Then said Yahweh unto Joshua - Stretch out with the javelin which is in thy hand, towards Ai, for, into thy hand, will I deliver it. So Joshua stretched out with the javelin which was in his hand, towards the city. And, the ambush, rose up quickly, out of their place, and ran, when he stretched out his hand, and entered the city, and captured it, - and hasted, and set the city on fire. And the men of Ai turned behind them, and looked, and lo! the smoke of the city had risen up towards the heavens, and there was in them no strength, to flee this way or that way, - moreover, the people that were fleeing to the wilderness, turned back upon the pursuers. Yea, when, Joshua and all Israel, saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city had risen up, then returned they, and smote the men of Ai. And, the others, came forth out of the city to meet them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side, - and they smote them, until there was left them none to remain or to escape.