Joshua 8:14

Green's Literal Translation

And it happened, when the king of Ai saw, the men of the city rose early and hurried to go out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed time before the plain. He did not know that an ambush was against him behind thecity.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, 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, for the encounter toward the Arabah; but he didn't know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted 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 wist not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

New Century Version
Now when the king of Ai saw the army of Israel, he and his people got up early the next morning and hurried out to fight them. They went out to a place east of the city, but the king did not know soldiers were waiting in ambush behind the city.

New English Translation
When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw [it], that they hasted and rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain: but he knew not that [there were] liers in ambush against him behind the city.

World English Bible
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.

Amplified Bible
Now when the king [and the people] of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, the king and all his people at the appointed [time and] place before the desert plain (the Arabah). But he did not know that there was an ambush against him [waiting] behind the city [on the west side].

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whanne the kyng of Hai had seyn that, he hastide eerli, and yede out with al the oost of the citee, and he dresside scheltrun ayens the deseert; and wiste not that buyschementis weren hid bihinde the bak.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, when the king of Ai seeth [it], that hasten, and rise early, and go out do the men of the city to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at the appointed season, at the front of the plain, and he hath not known that an ambush [is] against him, on the rear of the city.

Berean Standard Bible
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.

Contemporary English Version
The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned. The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted 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 knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the kyng of Ai sawe it, they hasted and rose vp early, and the men of the citie went out agaynst Israel to battayle, he and all his people at a tyme appoynted, euen before the playne: and wyst not that there were lyers in wayte agaynst him on the backsyde of the citie.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king of ‘Ai saw this, so the men in the city hurried out early in the morning to battle against Isra'el, he and all his people, at a meeting-place facing the ‘Aravah. But he was unaware that behind the city an ambush had been laid against him.

Darby Translation
And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hasted and rose early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain. But he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Easy-to-Read Version
Later, the king of Ai saw the army of Israel. The king and his people hurried out to fight the army of Israel. The king of Ai went out the east side of the city toward the Jordan Valley, so he did not see the soldiers hiding behind the city.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hastened and rose up early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, in front of the Arabah; but he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe when the King of Ai saw it, that they hasted, and rose vp early, and the men of the citie went out against Israel to battell, hee, and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plaine, but hee wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

New Life Bible
The king of Ai saw this. So the men of the city were quick to get up early and go out to meet Israel in battle at the chosen place near the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an army hiding behind the city.

New Revised Standard
When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the inhabitants of the city, hurried out early in the morning to the meeting place facing the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted, and rose up early, and the men of the city came out to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at an appointed time, before the waste plain, - he not knowing that there was an ambush lying in wait for him, behind the city.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the King of Ai sawe it, then the men of the citie hasted and rose vp earely, and went out against Israel to battell, hee and all his people at the time appointed, before the plaine: for he knew not that any lay in waite against him on the backeside of the citie.

George Lamsa Translation
And when the king of Ai saw it, he hastened, and the men of the city rose up, and went out against Israel to battle; so all the people of Ai were in the plain; and they did not know that there was an ambush against them from behind the city.

Good News Translation
When the king of Ai saw Joshua's men, he acted quickly. He and all his men went out toward the Jordan Valley to fight the Israelites at the same place as before, not knowing that he was about to be attacked from the rear.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the king of Hai saw this, he made haste in the morning, and went out with all the army of the city, and set it in battle array, toward the desert, not knowing that there lay an ambush behind his back.

Revised Standard Version
And when the king of Ai saw this he and all his people, the men of the city, made haste and went out early to the descent toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass when the king of Gai saw it, he hasted and went out to meet them direct to the battle, he and all the people that were with him: and he knew not that there was an ambuscade formed against him behind the city.

Christian Standard Bible®
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.

Hebrew Names Version
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 Yisra'el to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the `Aravah; but he didn't know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

King James Version
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

Lexham English Bible
When the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out to meet Israel for battle—he and all his army—to the meeting place before the Arabah. He did not know that there was an ambush for him behind the city.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan the kynge of Hai sawe that, he made haist, and gat him vp early, and the men out of the cite, to mete Israel to ye battayll, with all his people, euen righte before the felde: for he wyst not that there was a preuy watch behynde him on the backe syde of the cite.

THE MESSAGE
So it happened that when the king of Ai saw all this, the men of the city lost no time; they were out of there at the crack of dawn to join Israel in battle, the king and his troops, at a field en route to the Arabah. The king didn't know of the ambush set against him behind the city.

New American Standard Bible
And it came about, when the king of Ai saw them, that the men of the city hurried and got up early, and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

New King James Version
Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

New Living Translation
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the town.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that when the king of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Contextual Overview

⁹ And Joshua sent them away, and they went to the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai. And Joshua remained that night in the midst of the people. ¹⁰ And Joshua rose early in the morning and called up the people, and they went up, he and the elders of Israel in the sight of the people of Ai. ¹¹ And all the people of war with him went up and drew near, and came before the city. And they camped on the north of Ai, and the valley was between him and Ai. ¹² And he took about five thousand men and set them as an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city. ¹³ And they set the people, all the camp on the north of the city; and its rear on the west of the city. And Joshua went into the middle of the valley on that night. ¹⁴ And it happened, when the king of Ai saw, the men of the city rose early and hurried to go out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed time before the plain. He did not know that an ambush was against him behind thecity. ¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel were stricken before them, and they fled the way of the wilderness. ¹⁶ And all the people in the city were called to chase them. And they pursued Joshua, and were drawn away out of the city. ¹⁷ And there was not a man left in Ai and Bethel who had not gone out after Israel. And they left the city open, and chased Israel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ai saw it: Joshua 8:5, Joshua 8:16

he wist not: Judges 20:34-36, Ecclesiastes 9:12, Isaiah 19:11, Isaiah 19:13, Daniel 4:31, Matthew 24:39, Matthew 24:50, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, 2 Peter 2:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:29 - wist Joshua 8:2 - lay thee Judges 20:31 - drawn Jeremiah 51:12 - ambushes

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day all the fountains of the great deep were risen, and the windows of the heavens were opened up.

Genesis 8:13
And it happened in the six hundred and first year, at the beginning, on the first of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked. And, behold! The face of the earth was dried.

Genesis 8:14
And in the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw [it],.... Not the ambush on the west side, but the host or army on the north side, or, however, some of his people gave him notice of it:

that they hasted and rose up early; or made haste to rise out of their beds, on the alarm given of Israel's near approach:

and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle; being raised out of their beds and accoutred with armour, and put into a military order, they marched out with their king at the head of them, to give Israel battle:

he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; which was before the city, the same with the valley mentioned, Joshua 8:11; the city was built on an eminence, and this plain or valley lay at the bottom of it; and on an eminence on the other side of the valley the army of Israel was pitched; wherefore the king of Ai and all his men of war went out hither to attack Israel, and this is said to be at an appointed time; it is difficult to say what is meant by it, when they seem to have hurried out as best as they could, as soon as they perceived the Israelites were near them: Ben Gersom and Abarbinel think it was the same time of the day they went out at first, which the king might choose as lucky, being before successful, and to encourage the men, that as they conquered then they should now; which seems not amiss, though perhaps it rather designs an appointed place, as their rendezvous, and where to attack Israel, and where they had been before victorious:

but he wist not that [there were] liers in ambush against him behind the city; that he knew nothing of, and therefore took no precaution against them to prevent their design.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

At a time appointed - Rather, “at the place appointed,” i. e. some spot suitable for the drawing up of his men, which had been assigned beforehand. This was “before the plain,” i. e. it was at the entrance of the depressed tract of land which runs down to the Jordan valley, up which lay the route of the Israelites from Gilgal to Ai.