24 When Israel had finished killing everyone living in Ai who had pursued them into the open country, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the sword.
25 The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was 12,000 — all the people of Ai.
26 Joshua did not draw back his hand that was holding the sword until all the inhabitants of Ai were completely destroyed.
27 Israel plundered only the cattle and spoil of that city for themselves, according to the Lord’s command that He had given Joshua.
28 Joshua burned Ai and left it a permanent ruin, desolate to this day.
29 He hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take his body down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and put a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.
30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord, the God of Israel,