Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; [he] chose thirty thousand mighty men of strength and sent them forth by night. And he commanded them, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. read more.
And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as the first time, we will flee before them Till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. When you have taken the city, you shall set it afire; as the Lord commanded, you shall do. See, I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the men, and went up with the elders of Israel before the warriors to Ai. And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of [it], with a ravine between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. So they stationed all the army -- "the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city -- "and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine. When the king [and people] of Ai saw it, they hastily rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle [at a time and place appointed] before the Arabah [plain]. But he did not know of the ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten by them, and fled toward the wilderness. So all the people in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. Leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city. The men in the ambush arose quickly out of their place and ran when he stretched out his hand; and they entered the city and took it, and then hastened and set it afire. When the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to the heavens, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. Then the Israelites who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again and slew the men of Ai. And the others came forth out of the city against them [of Ai], so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And [the Israelites] smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.



Set up a signal on the walls of Babylon [to spread the news];
Post a strong blockade,
Station the guards,
Prepare the men for ambush!
For the Lord has both purposed and done
That which He spoke against the people of Babylon.

Then the men of Judah raised a war cry; and as they shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel [with defeat] before Abijah and Judah.

You shall do [the same] to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; [except that] you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set up an ambush for the city behind it [on the west side].”


And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; [he] chose thirty thousand mighty men of strength and sent them forth by night. And he commanded them, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. read more.
And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as the first time, we will flee before them Till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. When you have taken the city, you shall set it afire; as the Lord commanded, you shall do. See, I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the men, and went up with the elders of Israel before the warriors to Ai. And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of [it], with a ravine between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. So they stationed all the army -- "the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city -- "and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine. When the king [and people] of Ai saw it, they hastily rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle [at a time and place appointed] before the Arabah [plain]. But he did not know of the ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten by them, and fled toward the wilderness. So all the people in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. Leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city. The men in the ambush arose quickly out of their place and ran when he stretched out his hand; and they entered the city and took it, and then hastened and set it afire. When the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to the heavens, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. Then the Israelites who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again and slew the men of Ai. And the others came forth out of the city against them [of Ai], so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And [the Israelites] smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.


And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not nor be dismayed. Take all the men of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it.


And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not nor be dismayed. Take all the men of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it.

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' minister, Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses. read more.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates -- "all the land of the Hittites [Canaan] -- "and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho, its king and mighty men of valor, into your hands. You shall march around the enclosure, all the men of war going around the city once. This you shall do for six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns; and on the seventh day you shall march around the enclosure seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. read more.
When they make a long blast with the ram's horn and you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the enclosure shall fall down in its place and the people shall go up [over it], every man straight before him.

The Lord said to Joshua, Get up! Why do you lie thus upon your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. They have taken some of the things devoted [for destruction]; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own baggage. That is why the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, but fled before them; they are accursed and have become devoted [for destruction]. I will cease to be with you unless you destroy the accursed [devoted] things among you. read more.
Up, sanctify (set apart for a holy purpose) the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: There are accursed things in the midst of you, O Israel. You can not stand before your enemies until you take away from among you the things devoted [to destruction]. In the morning therefore, you shall present your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord takes shall come by families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come by persons. And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be [killed and his body] burned with fire, he and all he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he has done a shameful and wicked thing in Israel.

The Lord said also to Joshua, Say to the Israelites, Appoint among you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, That the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. read more.
He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city; they shall receive him to [the protection of] that city and give him a place to dwell among them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously. And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the high priest in those days. Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house.


Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Let not all the men go up; but let about two thousand or three thousand go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole army toil up there, for they of Ai are few. So about three thousand Israelites went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai.

And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not nor be dismayed. Take all the men of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its cattle [this time] you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; [he] chose thirty thousand mighty men of strength and sent them forth by night. read more.
And he commanded them, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as the first time, we will flee before them Till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, They are fleeing from us as before. So we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. When you have taken the city, you shall set it afire; as the Lord commanded, you shall do. See, I have commanded you. So Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the men, and went up with the elders of Israel before the warriors to Ai. And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of [it], with a ravine between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. So they stationed all the army -- "the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city -- "and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine. When the king [and people] of Ai saw it, they hastily rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle [at a time and place appointed] before the Arabah [plain]. But he did not know of the ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten by them, and fled toward the wilderness. So all the people in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. Leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city. The men in the ambush arose quickly out of their place and ran when he stretched out his hand; and they entered the city and took it, and then hastened and set it afire.