ised us, by many signs, that thou wouldst give us
this land for a possession, and that thou wouldst make our army always
superior in war to our enemies, and accordingly some success has already
attended upon us agreeably to thy promises; but because we have now
unexpectedly been foiled, and have lost some men out of our army, we
are grieved at it, as fearing what thou hast promised us, and what Moses
foretold us, cannot be depended on by us; and our future expectation
troubles us the more, because we have met with such a disaster in this
our first attempt. But do thou, O Lord, free us from these suspicions,
for thou art able to find a cure for these disorders, by giving us
victory, which will both take away the grief we are in at present, and
prevent our distrust as to what is to come."

14. These intercessions Joshua put up to God, as he lay prostrate on his
face: whereupon God answered him, That he should rise up, and purify his
host from the pollution that had got into it; that "things consecrated
to me have been impudently stolen from me," and that "this has been
the occasion why this defeat had happened to them;" and that when they
should search out and punish the offender, he would ever take care they
should have the victory over their enemies. This Joshua told the people;
and calling for Eleazar the high priest, and the men in authority, he
cast lots, tribe by tribe; and when the lot showed that this wicked
action was done by one of the tribe of Judah, he then again proposed
the lot to the several families thereto belonging; so the truth of this
wicked action was found to belong to the family of Zachar; and when the
inquiry was made man by man, they took Achar, who, upon God's reducing
him to a terrible extremity, could not deny the fact: so he confessed
the theft, and produced what he had taken in the midst of them,
whereupon he was immediately put to death; and attained no more than to
be buried in the night in a disgraceful manner, and such as was suitable
to a condemned malefactor.

15. When Joshua had thus purified the host, he led them against Ai: and
having by night laid an ambush round about the city, he attacked the
enemies as soon as it was day; but as they advanced boldly against the
Israelites, because of their former victory, he made them believe he
retired, and by that means drew them a great way from the city, they
still supposing that they were pursuing their enemies, and despised
them, as though