Joshua 7:2-4

Expanded Bible

² Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai [^Cthe name means “dump,” indicating that it should have been an easy military target], which was near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He told them, “Go to Ai and spy out the area.” So the men went to spy on Ai.

³ Later they came back to Joshua and said, “There are ·only a few people [few soldiers] in Ai, so we will not need all our people to defeat them. Send only two or three thousand men to fight. ·There is no need to send [or Don’t tire out] all of our people.” ⁴ So about three thousand men went up to Ai, but ·the people of Ai beat them badly [^Lthey fled from the men of Ai].