Joshua 8

1And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־יְהֹושֻׁעַ אַל־תִּירָא וְאַל־תֵּחָת קַח עִמְּךָ אֵת כָּל־עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה וְקוּם עֲלֵה הָעָי רְאֵה ׀ נָתַתִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ הָעַי וְאֶת־עַמֹּו וְאֶת־עִירֹו וְאֶת־אַרְצֹו׃ (7059)

2And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

וְעָשִׂיתָ לָעַי וּלְמַלְכָּהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ לִירִיחֹו וּלְמַלְכָּהּ רַק־שְׁלָלָהּ וּבְהֶמְתָּהּ תָּבֹזּוּ לָכֶם שִׂים־לְךָ אֹרֵב לָעִיר מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ׃ (5528)

3So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.

וַיָּקָם יְהֹושֻׁעַ וְכָל־עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה לַעֲלֹות הָעָי וַיִּבְחַר יְהֹושֻׁעַ שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף אִישׁ גִּבֹּורֵי הַחַיִל וַיִּשְׁלָחֵם לָיְלָה׃ (3924)

4And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר רְאוּ אַתֶּם אֹרְבִים לָעִיר מֵאַחֲרֵי הָעִיר אַל־תַּרְחִיקוּ מִן־הָעִיר מְאֹד וִהְיִיתֶם כֻּלְּכֶם נְכֹנִים׃ (4505)

5And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

וַאֲנִי וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתִּי נִקְרַב אֶל־הָעִיר וְהָיָה כִּי־יֵצְאוּ לִקְרָאתֵנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וְנַסְנוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ (4234)

6(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

וְיָצְאוּ אַחֲרֵינוּ עַד הַתִּיקֵנוּ אֹותָם מִן־הָעִיר כִּי יֹאמְרוּ נָסִים לְפָנֵינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וְנַסְנוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ (3994)

7Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

וְאַתֶּם תָּקֻמוּ מֵהָאֹורֵב וְהֹורַשְׁתֶּם אֶת־הָעִיר וּנְתָנָהּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם׃ (3609)

8And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

וְהָיָה כְּתָפְשְׂכֶם אֶת־הָעִיר תַּצִּיתוּ אֶת־הָעִיר בָּאֵשׁ כִּדְבַר יְהוָה תַּעֲשׂוּ רְאוּ צִוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם׃ (5679)

9Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

וַיִּשְׁלָחֵם יְהֹושֻׁעַ וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־הַמַּאְרָב וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בֵּין בֵּית־אֵל וּבֵין הָעַי מִיָּם לָעָי וַיָּלֶן יְהֹושֻׁעַ בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא בְּתֹוךְ הָעָם׃ (3442)

10And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יְהֹושֻׁעַ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּפְקֹד אֶת־הָעָם וַיַּעַל הוּא וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הָעָם הָעָי׃ (2999)

11And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.

וְכָל־הָעָם הַמִּלְחָמָה אֲשֶׁר אִתֹּו עָלוּ וַיִּגְּשׁוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ נֶגֶד הָעִיר וַיַּחֲנוּ מִצְּפֹון לָעַי וְהַגַּי [בֵּינֹו כ] (בֵּינָיו ק) וּבֵין־הָעָי׃ (2904)

12And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

וַיִּקַּח כַּחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ וַיָּשֶׂם אֹותָם אֹרֵב בֵּין בֵּית־אֵל וּבֵין הָעַי מִיָּם לָעִיר׃ (3428)

13And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

וַיָּשִׂימוּ הָעָם אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּחֲנֶה אֲשֶׁר מִצְּפֹון לָעִיר וְאֶת־עֲקֵבֹו מִיָּם לָעִיר וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהֹושֻׁעַ בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא בְּתֹוךְ הָעֵמֶק׃ (4302)

See also: Exodus 17:11-12, Joshua 8:18

27Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

רַק הַבְּהֵמָה וּשְׁלַל הָעִיר הַהִיא בָּזְזוּ לָהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּדְבַר יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶת־יְהֹושֻׁעַ׃ (3313)

28And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

וַיִּשְׂרֹף יְהֹושֻׁעַ אֶת־הָעָי וַיְשִׂימֶהָ תֵּל־עֹולָם שְׁמָמָה עַד הַיֹּום הַזֶּה׃ (2957)

29And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

וְאֶת־מֶלֶךְ הָעַי תָּלָה עַל־הָעֵץ עַד־עֵת הָעָרֶב וּכְבֹוא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ צִוָּה יְהֹושֻׁעַ וַיֹּרִידוּ אֶת־נִבְלָתֹו מִן־הָעֵץ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ אֹותָהּ אֶל־פֶּתַח שַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיָּקִימוּ עָלָיו גַּל־אֲבָנִים גָּדֹול עַד הַיֹּום הַזֶּה׃ (7442)

30Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

אָז יִבְנֶה יְהֹושֻׁעַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר עֵיבָל׃ (1485)

31As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תֹּורַת מֹשֶׁה מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים שְׁלֵמֹות אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הֵנִיף עֲלֵיהֶן בַּרְזֶל וַיַּעֲלוּ עָלָיו עֹלֹות לַיהוָה וַיִּזְבְּחוּ שְׁלָמִים׃ (7490)

32And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

וַיִּכְתָּב־שָׁם עַל־הָאֲבָנִים אֵת מִשְׁנֵה תֹּורַת מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר כָּתַב לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ (4829)

33And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּזְקֵנָיו וְשֹׁטְרִים ׀ וְשֹׁפְטָיו עֹמְדִים מִזֶּה ׀ וּמִזֶּה ׀ לָאָרֹון נֶגֶד הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם נֹשְׂאֵי ׀ אֲרֹון בְּרִית־יְהוָה כַּגֵּר כָּאֶזְרָח חֶצְיֹו אֶל־מוּל הַר־גְּרִזִים וְהַחֶצְיֹו אֶל־מוּל הַר־עֵיבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הָעָם יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּרִאשֹׁנָה׃ (8477)

34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן קָרָא אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתֹּורָה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה כְּכָל־הַכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר הַתֹּורָה׃ (3748)

35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־קָרָא יְהֹושֻׁעַ נֶגֶד כָּל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַגֵּר הַהֹלֵךְ בְּקִרְבָּם׃ (4430)