^{1 Ref} Then the Lord said to Joshua, Have no fear and do not be troubled: take with you all the fighting-men and go up against Ai: for I have given into your hands the king of Ai and his people and his town and his land:

^{2 Ref} 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.

^{3 Ref} So Joshua and the fighting-men got ready to go up against Ai; and Joshua took thirty thousand men of war, and sent them out by night.

^{4 Ref} And he gave them their orders, saying, Go and take up your position secretly at the back of the town: do not go very far away, and let all of you be ready:

^{5 Ref} And I and all the people with me will come near the town, and when they come out against us as they did before, we will go in flight from them;

^{6 Ref} And they will come out after us, till we have got them away from the town; for they will say, They have gone in flight from us as before; so we will go in flight before them;

^{7 Ref} Then you will get up from your secret position and take the town, for the Lord your God will give it up into your hands.

^{8 Ref} And when you have taken the town, put fire to it, as the Lord has said: see, I have given you your orders.