From there he continued on to a mountain to the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai has been devastated! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, and run to and fro inside the walls; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his officials together.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel) and said to them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.
So Joshua sent them out. They went to the place of ambush and took up a position between Bethel and Ai, westward of Ai, and Joshua spent the night among the people.
