Josué 8
Catholic Public Domain Version
1Then the Lord said to Joshua: “You should not fear, and you should not dread. Take with you the entire multitude of fighters, and rising up, ascend to the town of Ai. Behold, I have delivered into your hand its king and people, and the city and the land.
2And you shall do to the city of Ai, and to its king, just as you did to Jericho, and to its king. Yet truly, the spoils, and all the living things, you shall plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.”
3And Joshua rose up, and the entire army of warriors with him, so that they might ascend against Ai. And he sent thirty thousand elect strong men in the night.
4And he instructed them, saying: “Set an ambush behind the city. You shall withdraw not far away, and let everyone be prepared.
5But I and the remainder of the multitude that is with me will approach from the opposite side of the city. And when they come out against us, we will flee and turn our backs, just as we did before,
6until, pursuing us, they are drawn away from the city. For they will think that we are fleeing as before.
7Then, while we are fleeing and they are pursuing, you shall rise up from the ambush, and you shall lay waste to the city. And the Lord your God will deliver it into your hands.
8And when you have seized it, set it on fire. And you shall do all that I have ordered.”
9And he sent them away, and they traveled to the place of the ambush, and they settled between Bethel and Ai, toward the western region of the city of Ai. But Joshua remained for that night in the midst of the people.
10And rising at first light, he reviewed his troops, and he went up, with the elders at the front of the army, surrounded by an auxiliary of fighters.
11And when they had arrived, and had ascended from the opposite side of the city, they stood toward the northern region of the city. And there was a valley in the middle, between them and the city.
12Now he had chosen five thousand men, and he had positioned them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, at the western part of the same city.
13Yet truly, all the remainder of the army was arranged in a line to the north, so that the very end of that multitude reached to the western region of the city. Then Joshua went out that night, and he stood in the middle of the valley.
14And when the king of Ai had seen this, he hurried in the morning, and he went out with the entire army of the city. And he arranged them in a line opposite the desert, not knowing that an ambush lay hidden behind his back.
15Yet truly, Joshua, and all of Israel, withdrew from the place, pretending to be afraid, and fleeing along the way of the wilderness.
16And they pursued them, shouting together and encouraging one another. And when they had withdrawn from the city,
17and indeed not one remained in the city of Ai and of Bethel who did not pursue after Israel, (leaving the towns open after they had rushed out,)
18the Lord said to Joshua: “Lift up the shield that is in your hand, toward the city of Ai. For I will deliver it to you.”
19And when he had lifted up the shield toward the city, the ambush, which lay hidden, rose up quickly. And advancing to the city, they seized it, and set it on fire.
20Now the men of the city who were pursuing Joshua, looking back and seeing the smoke of the city rising up even to heaven, were no longer able to flee in one direction or another, especially since those who had pretended to flee, and who were heading toward the wilderness, had turned back very strongly against those who were pursuing them.
21And Joshua, and all of Israel, seeing that the city had been captured, and that the smoke of the city was ascending, returned and struck down the men of Ai.
22Then too, those who had seized and set the city on fire, departing from the city toward their own men, began to strike the enemies in the middle. Therefore, since the adversaries were cut off from both sides, none of so great a multitude was saved.
23Also, they apprehended the king of the city of Ai, alive, and they brought him before Joshua.
24And so, after all were slain who had pursued Israel fleeing toward the wilderness, and after they fell by the sword in the same place, the sons of Israel returned and struck the city.
25Now there were twelve thousand persons who had fallen on the same day, from man even to woman, the entire city of Ai.
26Truly Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out on high, keeping hold of the shield until all the inhabitants of Ai were put to death.
27Then the sons of Israel divided among themselves the cattle and the plunder of the city, just as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
28And he set fire to the city, and he caused it to be a perpetual tomb.
29Also, he suspended the king on a gallows, until evening and the setting of the sun. And Joshua instructed, and they took down his dead body from the hanging tree. And they cast it at the very entrance of the city, gathering a great pile of stones upon it, which remains even to the present day.
30Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
31just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed to the sons of Israel, and this was written in the book of the law of Moses: truly, an altar of uncut stones, which iron has not touched. And he offered holocausts upon it to the Lord, and he immolated victims as peace-offerings.
32And he wrote on the stones, the Deuteronomy of the law of Moses, which he had set in order before the sons of Israel.
33Then all the people, and those greater by birth, and the commanders and judges were standing on both sides of the ark, in the sight of the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with both the new arrival and the native born, one half part of them beside Mount Gerizim, and one half beside Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed. And first, certainly, he blessed the people of Israel.
34After this, he read all the words of the blessing and the cursing, and all the things that were written in the book of the law.
35He left nothing untouched out of those things that Moses had ordered, and he repeated everything before the entire multitude of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and the new arrivals who were staying among them.
Reina-Valera 1909
1Y JEHOVÁ dijo á Josué: No temas, ni desmayes; toma contigo toda la gente de guerra, y levántate y sube á Hai. Mira, yo he entregado en tu mano al rey de Hai, y á su pueblo, á su ciudad, y á su tierra.
2Y harás á Hai y á su rey como hiciste á Jericó y á su rey: sólo que sus despojos y sus bestias tomaréis para vosotros. Pondrás, pues, emboscadas á la ciudad detrás de ella.
3Y levantóse Josué, y toda la gente de guerra, para subir contra Hai: y escogió Josué treinta mil hombres fuertes, los cuales envió de noche.
4Y mandóles, diciendo: Mirad, pondréis emboscada á la ciudad detrás de ella: no os alejaréis mucho de la ciudad, y estaréis todos apercibidos.
5Y yo, y todo el pueblo que está conmigo, nos acercaremos á la ciudad; y cuando saldrán ellos contra nosotros, como hicieron antes, huiremos delante de ellos.
6Y ellos saldrán tras nosotros, hasta que los arranquemos de la ciudad; porque ellos dirán: Huyen de nosotros como la primera vez. Huiremos, pues, delante de ellos.
7Entonces vosotros os levantaréis de la emboscada, y os echaréis sobre la ciudad; pues Jehová vuestro Dios la entregará en vuestras manos.
8Y cuando la hubiereis tomado, le prenderéis fuego. Haréis conforme á la palabra de Jehová. Mirad que os lo he mandado.
9Entonces Josué los envió; y ellos se fueron á la emboscada, y pusiéronse entre Beth-el y Hai, al occidente de Hai: y Josué se quedó aquella noche en medio del pueblo.
10Y levantándose Josué muy de mañana, revistó al pueblo, y subió él, con los ancianos de Israel, delante del pueblo contra Hai.
11Y toda la gente de guerra que con él estaba, subió, y acercóse, y llegaron delante de la ciudad, y asentaron el campo á la parte del norte de Hai: y el valle estaba entre él y Hai.
12Y tomó como cinco mil hombres, y púsolos en emboscada entre Beth-el y Hai, á la parte occidental de la ciudad.
13Y el pueblo, todo el campo que estaba á la parte del norte de la ciudad, colocado ya cerca, y su emboscada al occidente de la ciudad, vínose Josué aquella noche al medio del valle.
14Lo cual como viese el rey de Hai, levantóse prestamente de mañana, y salió con la gente de la ciudad contra Israel, él y todo su pueblo, para combatir por el llano al tiempo señalado, no sabiendo que le estaba puesta emboscada á las espaldas de la ciudad.
15Entonces Josué y todo Israel, haciéndose vencidos, huyeron delante de ellos por el camino del desierto.
16Y todo el pueblo que estaba en Hai se juntó para seguirlos: y siguieron á Josué, siendo así arrancados de la ciudad.
17Y no quedó hombre en Hai y Beth-el, que no saliera tras de Israel; y por seguir á Israel dejaron la ciudad abierta.
18Entonces Jehová dijo á Josué: Levanta la lanza que tienes en tu mano hacia Hai, porque yo la entregaré en tu mano. Y Josué levantó hacia la ciudad la lanza que en su mano tenía.
19Y levantándose prestamente de su lugar los que estaban en la emboscada, corrieron luego que él alzó su mano, y vinieron á la ciudad, y la tomaron, y apresuráronse á prenderle fuego.
20Y como los de la ciudad miraron atrás, observaron, y he aquí el humo de la ciudad que subía al cielo, y no tuvieron arbitrio para huir ni á una parte ni á otra: y el pueblo que iba huyendo hacia el desierto, se volvió contra los que le seguían.
21Josué y todo Israel, viendo que los de la emboscada habían tomado la ciudad, y que el humo de la ciudad subía, tornaron, é hirieron á los de Hai.
22Y los otros salieron de la ciudad á su encuentro: y así fueron encerrados en medio de Israel, los unos de la una parte, y los otros de la otra. Y los hirieron hasta que no quedó ninguno de ellos que escapase.
23Y tomaron vivo al rey de Hai, y trajéronle á Josué.
24Y cuando los Israelitas acabaron de matar á todos los moradores de Hai en el campo, en el desierto, donde ellos los habían perseguido, y que todos habían caído á filo de espada hasta ser consumidos, todos los Israelitas se tornaron á Hai, y también la pusieron á cuchillo.
25Y el número de los que cayeron aquel día, hombres y mujeres, fué doce mil, todos los de Hai.
26Y Josué no retrajo su mano que había extendido con la lanza, hasta que hubo destruído á todos los moradores de Hai.
27Empero los Israelitas tomaron para sí las bestias y los despojos de la ciudad, conforme á la palabra de Jehová que él había mandado á Josué.
28Y Josué quemó á Hai y redújola á un montón perpetuo, asolado hasta hoy.
29Mas al rey de Hai colgó de un madero hasta la tarde: y como el sol se puso, mandó Josué que quitasen del madero su cuerpo, y lo echasen á la puerta de la ciudad: y levantaron sobre él un gran montón de piedras, hasta hoy.
30Entonces Josué edificó un altar á Jehová Dios de Israel en el monte de Ebal,
31Como Moisés, siervo de Jehová, lo había mandado á los hijos de Israel, como está escrito en el libro de la ley de Moisés, un altar de piedras enteras sobre las cuales nadie alzó hierro: y ofrecieron sobre él holocaustos á Jehová, y sacrificaron víctimas pacíficas.
32También escribió allí en piedras la repetición de la ley de Moisés, la cual él había escrito delante de los hijos de Israel.
33Y todo Israel, y sus ancianos, oficiales, y jueces, estaban de la una y de la otra parte junto al arca, delante de los sacerdotes Levitas que llevan el arca del pacto de Jehová; así extranjeros como naturales, la mitad de ellos estaba hacia el monte de Gerizim, y la otra mitad hacia el monte de Ebal; de la manera que Moisés, siervo de Jehová, lo había mandado antes, para que bendijesen primeramente al pueblo de Israel.
34Después de esto, leyó todas las palabras de la ley, las bendiciones y las maldiciones, conforme á todo lo que está escrito en el libro de la ley.
35No hubo palabra alguna de todas las cosas que mandó Moisés, que Josué no hiciese leer delante de toda la congregación de Israel, mujeres y niños, y extranjeros que andaban entre ellos.
King James Version
1And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
2And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.
4And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
5And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
6(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.
7Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.
12And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.
15And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
18And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.
19And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
20And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
22And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
26For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.
28And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
29And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
30Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
31As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
32And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
33And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
World English Bible
1The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land.
2You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”
3So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.
4He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
5I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.
6They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them,
7and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the LORD’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.”
9Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.
10Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.
12He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.
14When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.
18The LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
19The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire.
20When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back and killed the men of Ai.
22The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
25All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai.
26For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to the LORD’s word which he commanded Joshua.
28So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.
29He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day.
30Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
31as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
32He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
33All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the LORD’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.