And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai which was beside Beth-aven on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up, and spied out Ai.
And so their boundary, on the north border, was from the Jordan,—and the boundary goeth up unto the side of Jericho on the north, and goeth up in the hill country, westward, and the extensions thereof are towards the wilderness of Beth-aven;
Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and then swear, By the life of Yahweh!
And, the Philistines, gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, a people also like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude,—and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
And he moved on from thence towards the hill country, on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent,—with Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east, and bulk there an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh.
Then did Joshua son of Nun, send out from The Acacias, two men to spy out silently, saying, Go view the land, and Jericho. So they came, and entered the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lay there.
And they returned unto Joshua and said unto him—Let not all the people go up, about two thousand men or three thousand men, can go up and smite Ai,—do not weary the whole people to go thither, for, but few, they are.
Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled Make outcry, ye daughters of Rabbah, Gird you with sackcloth, Lament ye and run to and fro among the fences,—For, Malkam, into captivity, shall go, His priests and his princes, together.