3 Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.
4 He told them, “Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city; all of you be ready!
5 I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.
6 They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are retreating from us like before.’ We will retreat from them.
7 Then you rise up from your hiding place and seize the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you.
8 When you capture the city, set it on fire. Do as the Lord says! See, I have given you orders.”
9 Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent that night with the army.