Thematic Bible: Decoy


Thematic Bible



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. 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. read more.
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.

And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about. So the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin, on the third day, - and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as time after time. And the sons of Benjamin came forth against the people, they were drawn away from the city, - and began to smite of the people, slaying as time after time, in the highways, whereof, one, goeth up to Bethel, and, the other, to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men in Israel. read more.
Then said the sons of Benjamin, They are, being smitten, before us, as at the first. But the sons of Israel had said - Let us flee, and draw them away from the city, into the highways. And, all the men of Israel, rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array in Baal-tamar, - and, the liers in wait of Israel, began to break forth out of their place, out of the forest of Gibeah. And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men, out of all Israel, and the battle was severe, - they, not knowing that disaster was overtaking them. Thus Yahweh smote Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed in Benjamin, that day, twenty-five thousand and one hundred men, - all these, drew the sword. So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, - and that the men of Israel had given place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the liers in wait, whom they had set near Gibeah. And, the liers in wait, hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah, - and the liers in wait marched forward, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. Now, the appointed sign, between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, had been, - to cause a great cloud of smoke to ascend out of the city. So, when the men of Israel turned in the battle, - and, the Benjamites, began to smite and slay of the sons of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, Yea! they are, smitten, before us, as in the first battle, then, the cloud, began to ascend out of the city, a pillar of smoke, - and the Benjamites looked behind them, and lo! the whole city flamed up towards the heavens. And, when, the men of Israel, turned, then were the men of Benjamin dismayed, - for they saw that disaster had overtaken them. And, when they turned before the men of Israel unto the way of the desert, the battle, over took them, - while, as for them that came out of the cities, they began to destroy them in their midst: - they hemmed in the Benjamites, they pursued them, with ease, trode they them down, - as far as over against Gibeah, towards sunrise.