With the problem of Achan dealt with God told Joshua to attack the city of Ai again, only this time victory was guaranteed. God told Joshua to attack with the whole army this time using ambush tactics. Joshua sent 30,000 men in the night to go round the back of Ai and hide. In the morning Joshua attacked with 5,000 men at the front and lured the men of Ai to run after them as they withdrew. When they had got far enough away then the 30,000 hidden men were given the signal to attack and they were able to take the city with ease and set it on fire. Then the 5,000 Israelites who had been retreating started to attack as the 30,000 men in the city attacked from the other side. The men of Ai were thus annihilated leaving neither survivor of fugitive. A total of 12,000 men and women were killed that day, but God allowed them to keep the livestock and plunder this time. They took the king of Ai and hung him on a tree before throwing down his body at sunset and covering it with a pile of rocks.
Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal using uncut stones, and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings unto God. Joshua copied on stone the law of Moses, and afterwards he read the law to all the people with half of them on Mount Gerizim and half on Mount Ebal.
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