1-2. The Lord told Joshua:Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, make part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.
10. Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai.
11. They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north.
12. Joshua had already sent five thousand soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack.
13. Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.
14-15. The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them towards the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan Valley as Joshua had planned.The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town.