²² Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.^(A)

²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin^(A) until he had destroyed^[a](B) all who lived in Ai.^{(C) 27} But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.^(D)

²⁸ So Joshua burned^(E) Ai^[b](F) and made it a permanent heap of ruins,^(G) a desolate place to this day.^{(H) 29} He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset,^(I) Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks^(J) over it, which remains to this day.