¹ ακουσατε τον λογον κυριου τουτον ον εγω λαμβανω εφ' υμας θρηνον οικος ισραηλ

² επεσεν ουκετι μη προσθη του αναστηναι παρθενος του ισραηλ εσφαλεν επι της γης αυτης ουκ εστιν ο αναστησων αυτην

³ διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος η πολις εξ ης εξεπορευοντο χιλιοι υπολειφθησονται εκατον και εξ ης εξεπορευοντο εκατον υπολειφθησονται δεκα τω οικω ισραηλ

⁴ διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος προς τον οικον ισραηλ εκζητησατε με και ζησεσθε

⁵ και μη εκζητειτε βαιθηλ και εις γαλγαλα μη εισπορευεσθε και επι το φρεαρ του ορκου μη διαβαινετε οτι γαλγαλα αιχμαλωτευομενη αιχμαλωτευθησεται και βαιθηλ εσται ως ουχ υπαρχουσα

⁶ εκζητησατε τον κυριον και ζησατε οπως μη αναλαμψη ως πυρ ο οικος ιωσηφ και καταφαγεται αυτον και ουκ εσται ο σβεσων τω οικω ισραηλ

⁷ κυριος ο ποιων εις υψος κριμα και δικαιοσυνην εις γην εθηκεν

⁸ ποιων παντα και μετασκευαζων και εκτρεπων εις το πρωι σκιαν θανατου και ημεραν εις νυκτα συσκοταζων ο προσκαλουμενος το υδωρ της θαλασσης και εκχεων αυτο επι προσωπου της γης κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ονομα αυτω

⁹ ο διαιρων συντριμμον επ' ισχυν και ταλαιπωριαν επι οχυρωμα επαγων

¹⁰ εμισησαν εν πυλαις ελεγχοντα και λογον οσιον εβδελυξαντο

¹¹ δια τουτο ανθ' ων κατεκονδυλιζετε πτωχους και δωρα εκλεκτα εδεξασθε παρ' αυτων οικους ξυστους ωκοδομησατε και ου μη κατοικησητε εν αυτοις αμπελωνας επιθυμητους εφυτευσατε και ου μη πιητε τον οινον εξ αυτων

¹² οτι εγνων πολλας ασεβειας υμων και ισχυραι αι αμαρτιαι υμων καταπατουντες δικαιον λαμβανοντες αλλαγματα και πενητας εν πυλαις εκκλινοντες

¹³ δια τουτο ο συνιων εν τω καιρω εκεινω σιωπησεται οτι καιρος πονηρος εστιν

¹⁴ εκζητησατε το καλον και μη το πονηρον οπως ζησητε και εσται ουτως μεθ' υμων κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ον τροπον ειπατε

¹⁵ μεμισηκαμεν τα πονηρα και ηγαπηκαμεν τα καλα και αποκαταστησατε εν πυλαις κριμα οπως ελεηση κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ τους περιλοιπους του ιωσηφ

¹⁶ δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ εν πασαις πλατειαις κοπετος και εν πασαις οδοις ρηθησεται ουαι ουαι κληθησεται γεωργος εις πενθος και κοπετον και εις ειδοτας θρηνον

¹⁷ και εν πασαις οδοις κοπετος διοτι διελευσομαι δια μεσου σου ειπεν κυριος

¹⁸ ουαι οι επιθυμουντες την ημεραν κυριου ινα τι αυτη υμιν η ημερα του κυριου και αυτη εστιν σκοτος και ου φως

¹⁹ ον τροπον οταν φυγη ανθρωπος εκ προσωπου του λεοντος και εμπεση αυτω η αρκος και εισπηδηση εις τον οικον αυτου και απερεισηται τας χειρας αυτου επι τον τοιχον και δακη αυτον ο οφις

²⁰ ουχι σκοτος η ημερα του κυριου και ου φως και γνοφος ουκ εχων φεγγος αυτη

²¹ μεμισηκα απωσμαι εορτας υμων και ου μη οσφρανθω εν ταις πανηγυρεσιν υμων

²² διοτι και εαν ενεγκητε μοι ολοκαυτωματα και θυσιας υμων ου προσδεξομαι αυτα και σωτηριου επιφανειας υμων ουκ επιβλεψομαι

²³ μεταστησον απ' εμου ηχον ωδων σου και ψαλμον οργανων σου ουκ ακουσομαι

²⁴ και κυλισθησεται ως υδωρ κριμα και δικαιοσυνη ως χειμαρρους αβατος

²⁵ μη σφαγια και θυσιας προσηνεγκατε μοι εν τη ερημω τεσσαρακοντα ετη οικος ισραηλ

²⁶ και ανελαβετε την σκηνην του μολοχ και το αστρον του θεου υμων ραιφαν τους τυπους αυτων ους εποιησατε εαυτοις

²⁷ και μετοικιω υμας επεκεινα δαμασκου λεγει κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ονομα αυτω

¹ Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid, neither be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land.

² You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except its spoil and its livestock, you shall take for a plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it."

³ So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.

⁴ He commanded them, saying, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don't go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

⁵ I, and all the people who are with me, will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

⁶ They will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, 'They flee before us, like the first time.' So we will flee before them,

⁷ and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand.

⁸ It shall be, when you have seized on the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the word of Yahweh. Behold, I have commanded you."

⁹ Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.

¹⁰ Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

¹¹ All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.

¹² He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

¹³ So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹⁴ It happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn't know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

¹⁶ All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

¹⁷ There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who didn't go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

¹⁸ Yahweh said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

¹⁹ The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire.

²⁰ When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

²¹ When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and killed the men of Ai.

²² The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

²³ They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴ It happened, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and struck it with the edge of the sword.

²⁵ All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

²⁶ For Joshua didn't draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

²⁷ Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which he commanded Joshua.

²⁸ So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.