Once Joshua and the Israelites had finally inflicted the last blows in this very great slaughter, and the survivors had escaped from them into the fortified cities,
Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may now do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and take shelter while we look on.”
Proclaim it in Judah, in Jerusalem announce it; Blow the trumpet throughout the land, call out, “Fill the ranks!” Say, “Assemble, let us march to the fortified cities.”
Why do we remain here? Let us assemble and flee to the fortified cities, where we will meet our doom; For the Lord our God has doomed us, he has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
and the Lord threw them into disorder before Israel. The Israelites inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon and pursued them down the Beth-horon slope, attacking them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
But do not remain there yourselves. Pursue your enemies, and harry them in the rear. Do not allow them to reach their cities, for the Lord, your God, has delivered them into your power.”
All the cities of those kings, and the kings themselves, Joshua captured and put to the sword, carrying out the ban on them, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded.
The Lord delivered them into the power of the Israelites, who defeated them and pursued them to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth-maim, and eastward to the valley of Mizpeh. They struck them all down, leaving no survivors.
When Israel finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open, who had pursued them into the wilderness, and all of them to the last man fell by the sword, then all Israel returned and put to the sword those inside the city.