H5857G–עַי–ay

And moving on from there to the mountain on the east of Beth-el, he put up his tent, having Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east: and there he made an altar and gave worship to the name of the Lord.

וְהָעַ֣י (עַ֣י) 'Ai “Ai”

And travelling on from the South, he came to Beth-el, to the place where his tent had been before, between Beth-el and Ai;

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is by the side of Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and said to them, Go up and make a search through the land. And the men went up and saw how Ai was placed.

הָעַ֞י (עַ֞י) 'Ai “Ai”הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

Then they came back to Joshua and said to him, Do not send all the people up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and make an attack on Ai; there is no need for all the people to be tired with the journey there, for it is only a small town.

הָעָ֑י (עָ֑י) 'Ai “Ai”

So about three thousand of the people went up, and were sent in flight by the men of Ai.

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

The men of Ai put to death about thirty-six of them, driving them from before the town as far as the stoneworks, and overcoming them on the way down: and the hearts of the people became like water.

הָעַ֗י (עַ֗י) 'Ai “Ai”

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:

הָעָ֑י (עָ֑י) 'Ai “Ai”הָעַי֙ (עַי֙) 'Ai “Ai”

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.

לָעַ֜י (עַ֜י) 'Ai “Ai”

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.

הָעָ֑י (עָ֑י) 'Ai “Ai”

So Joshua sent them out: and they took up a secret position between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua kept with the people that night.

הָעַ֖י (עַ֖י) 'Ai “Ai”לָעָ֑י (עָ֑י) 'Ai “Ai”

And early in the morning Joshua got up, and put the people in order, and he and the chiefs of Israel went up before the people to Ai.

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

And all the fighting-men who were with him went up and came near the town, and took up a position on the north side of Ai facing the town, with a valley between him and the town.

לָעַ֔י (עַ֔י) 'Ai “Ai”הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai.

הָעַ֖י (עַ֖י) 'Ai “Ai”

Now when the king of Ai saw it, he got up quickly and went out to war against Israel, he and all his people, to the slope going down to the valley; but he had no idea that a secret force was waiting at the back of the town.

הָעַ֗י (עַ֗י) 'Ai “Ai”

And all the people in Ai came together to go after them; and they went after Joshua, moving away from the town.

בָּעַ֔י (עַ֔י) 'ir “Ai”

There was not a man in Ai and Beth-el who did not go out after Israel; and the town was open and unwatched while they went after Israel.

בָּעַי֙ (עַי֙) 'Ai “Ai”

And the Lord said to Joshua, Let your spear be stretched out against Ai; for I will give it into your hands. So Joshua took up his spear, stretching it out in the direction of the town.

הָעַ֔י (עַ֔י) 'Ai “Ai”

Then the men of Ai, looking back, saw the smoke of the town going up to heaven, and were unable to go this way or that: and the people who had gone in flight to the waste land were turned back on those who were coming after them.

הָעַ֨י (עַ֨י) 'Ai “Ai”

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the town had been taken by the surprise attack, and that the smoke of the town had gone up, turning round they overcame the men of Ai.

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

But the king of Ai they made prisoner, and took him to Joshua.

הָעַ֖י (עַ֖י) 'Ai “Ai”

Then, after the destruction of all the people of Ai in the field and in the waste land where they went after them, and when all the people had been put to death without mercy, all Israel went back to Ai, and put to death all who were in it without mercy.

הָעַ֜י (עַ֜י) 'Ai “Ai”הָעַ֔י (עַ֔י) 'Ai “Ai”

On that day twelve thousand were put to death, men and women, all the people of Ai.

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

For Joshua did not take back his hand with the outstretched spear till the destruction of the people of Ai was complete.

הָעָֽי׃ (עָֽי) 'Ai “Ai”

So Joshua gave Ai to the flames, and made it a waste mass of stones for ever, as it is to this day.

הָעָ֑י (עָ֑י) 'Ai “Ai”

And he put the king of Ai to death, hanging him on a tree till evening: and when the sun went down, Joshua gave them orders to take his body down from the tree, and put it in the public place of the town, covering it with a great mass of stones, which is

הָעַ֛י (עַ֛י) 'Ai “Ai”