The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all the troops with you and go and attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land.
He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: ‘Don’t give up on your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.’