From there he pulled up [his tent pegs] and departed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of [it], with a ravine between them and Ai.
So they stationed all the army–the main encampment that was north of the city and their men in ambush behind and on the west of the city–and Joshua went that night into the midst of the ravine.