went up and spied out Ai.

And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, "Let not all the
people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite
Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few."

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and
they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about
thirty and six men: and they chased them from before the gate even
unto Shebarim, and smote them at the descent: and the hearts of the
people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and
fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the
evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their
heads.

{295}

And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought
this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites,
to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond
Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, after Israel hath turned their backs
before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of
the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us round, and cut off
our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do for thy great name?"

And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus
fallen upon thy face? Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even
transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even
taken of the devoted thing; and have also stolen, and lied also, and
they have even put it among their own goods. Therefore the children of
Israel cannot stand before their enemies, they turn their backs before
their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with
you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you. Up,
sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow:
for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing
in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine
enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. In the
morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it
shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come near by
families; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come near by
households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come
near man by man. And it {296} shall be, that he that is taken with the
devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath:
because he hath