8 When you have seized the city, set it on fire. Act according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.”
9 So Joshua sent them out. They went to the place of ambush and took up a position between Bethel and Ai, westward of Ai, and Joshua spent the night among the people.
10 Joshua got up early in the morning and mustered the people. He and the elders of Israel went up before the people to Ai.
11 All the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near to the city. They camped north of Ai, and there was a valley between them and Ai.
12 He took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, westward of the city.
13 So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley.
14 When the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurriedly got up early and went out to engage Israel in battle at the assembly point near the Arabah. Yet he did not know that there was an ambush for him behind the city.