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.
10 Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai.