Bible in Basic English
"And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai."
— Joshua 8:12, Bible in Basic English
“And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth–el and Ai, on the west side of the city.”
“And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city. ”
“He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.”
“He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai.”
So Joshua sent them out: and they took up a secret position between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua kept with the people that night.
And early in the morning Joshua got up, and put the people in order, and he and the chiefs of Israel went up before the people to Ai.
And all the fighting-men who were with him went up and came near the town, and took up a position on the north side of Ai facing the town, with a valley between him and the town.
And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai.
So all the people were in their places, the army on the north side of the town and the secret force on the west; and that night Joshua went down into the valley.
Now when the king of Ai saw it, he got up quickly and went out to war against Israel, he and all his people, to the slope going down to the valley; but he had no idea that a secret force was waiting at the back of the town.
Then Joshua and all Israel, acting as if they were overcome before them, went in flight by way of the waste land.