Joshua 7:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not everyone needs to go up. About two or three thousand men are enough to attack Ai. Do not make all the people toil there, for the population is small."

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    And they returned to hua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Do not let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai; and do not make all the people labor there; for they are but few.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    they came agayne to Iosua, and sayde vnto him: Let not all the people go vp, but vpon a two or thre thousande, that they maye go vp and smyte Hai, lest all the people weerye them selues there, for they are but fewe.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    And returned to Ioshua, and saide vnto him, Let not al the people go vp, but let as it were two or three thousand men go vp, and smite Ai, and make not al the people to labour thither, for they are fewe.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    And returned to Iosuah, and sayde vnto him, Let not all the people go vp: but let as it were two or three thousande men go vp, and smyte Ai: and make not all the people to labour thyther, for they are but fewe.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour thither; for they [are but] few.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    They returned to Joshua, and said to him, Don't let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai; don't make all the people to toil there; for they are but few.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    and they turn back unto Joshua, and say unto him, `Let not all the people go up; let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up, and they smite Ai; cause not all the people to labour thither; for they `are' few.'

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Then they came back to Joshua and said to him, Do not send all the people up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and make an attack on Ai; there is no need for all the people to be tired with the journey there, for it is only a small town.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    They returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Don't let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don't make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them."

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    They returned and reported to Joshua,“Don’t send the whole army. About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 13:4 : 4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
  • Prov 21:25 : 25 The desire of the lazy person kills them, for their hands refuse to work.
  • Luke 13:24 : 24 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
  • Heb 4:11 : 11 Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same example of disobedience.
  • Heb 6:11-12 : 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that your hope may be fully realized. 12 Then you will not become sluggish, but will imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
  • 2 Pet 1:5 : 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; to virtue, knowledge;
  • 2 Pet 1:10 : 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election; for if you do these things, you will never stumble.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Josh 7:4-5
    2 verses
    90%

    4So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.

    5The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them. They chased them from the city gate as far as the quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this, the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

  • Josh 8:1-4
    4 verses
    80%

    1The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you and go up to Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land."

    2"Do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. However, you may take its spoil and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city, behind it."

    3So Joshua and all the fighting men rose to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.

    4He commanded them, saying, "Behold, you are to lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go far from the city, but all of you stay ready."

  • Josh 7:1-2
    2 verses
    80%

    1But the Israelites acted unfaithfully with the things designated for destruction. Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites.

    2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-Aven to the east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and scout out the land." So the men went up and explored Ai.

  • Josh 8:9-27
    19 verses
    75%

    9So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site, remaining between Bethel and Ai, west of Ai. Joshua spent that night among the people.

    10Joshua rose early in the morning, mustered the people, and he and the elders of Israel went up before the people to Ai.

    11All the fighting men who were with him went up and approached the city. They camped to the north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city.

    12He took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

    13The people positioned all the camp to the north of the city, while a rear guard was placed to the west of the city. That night, Joshua went into the valley.

    14When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his men of the city hurried and rose early, going out to meet Israel in battle at the appointed place near the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush was set against him behind the city.

    15Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled toward the wilderness.

    16All the people of Ai were summoned to pursue them. They chased after Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

    17Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city unguarded and pursued Israel.

    18The Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." So Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city.

    19As soon as he stretched out his hand, the ambush rose quickly from their position, ran into the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.

    20When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, and they had no power to flee in any direction. The Israelites who had fled toward the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.

    21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city and that its smoke was rising, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

    22The others came out from the city to meet them, so the men of Ai were surrounded by the Israelites, some on one side and some on the other. They struck them down until no survivors or fugitives were left.

    23But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

    24When Israel finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open field and in the wilderness where they had pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were completely destroyed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the sword.

    25On that day, twelve thousand men and women, all the people of Ai, fell.

    26Joshua did not draw back the hand with which he had stretched out the javelin until he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

    27Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took for themselves, according to the word of the Lord that He commanded Joshua.

  • Judg 7:2-3
    2 verses
    73%

    2The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many people with you for me to hand Midian over to them, lest Israel boast against me, claiming, 'My own strength has delivered me.'

    3Now therefore, announce to the people: 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So, twenty-two thousand men returned, but ten thousand remained.

  • Josh 9:3
    71%

    3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

  • Josh 4:13
    69%

    13About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho, ready for war.

  • Josh 2:22-23
    2 verses
    69%

    22They went to the hill country and stayed there for three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the road but did not find them.

    23Then the two men came down from the hill country, crossed over, and went to Joshua son of Nun. They reported to him all that had happened to them.

  • Judg 7:7-8
    2 verses
    69%

    7The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men who lapped, I will save you and hand Midian over to you. Let all the others go home."

    8So the three hundred men took provisions and their trumpets. The rest of the men of Israel were sent away, each to his own home, but Gideon kept the three hundred men. Meanwhile, the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

  • Josh 6:7
    69%

    7And he commanded the people, 'Advance and march around the city, with the armed men going ahead of the ark of the LORD.'

  • Josh 18:4
    69%

    4Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to survey the land and map it according to their inheritances. Then they will return to me.

  • Neh 7:32
    68%

    32The men of Bethel and Ai: 123.

  • Josh 3:2
    68%

    2At the end of three days, the officers went throughout the camp,

  • Ezra 2:28
    67%

    28the men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three.

  • Josh 10:7-8
    2 verses
    67%

    7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with all the warriors and the mighty men of valor.

    8And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. I have given them into your hand; not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

  • Josh 18:9
    67%

    9So the men went and surveyed the land. They wrote a description of it by its towns in seven divisions and brought the report back to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.

  • Josh 6:3
    67%

    3You and all the fighting men are to march around the city once. Do this for six days.

  • Josh 11:6-7
    2 verses
    67%

    6The LORD said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots in the fire.'

    7So Joshua and all his warriors came against them suddenly at the waters of Merom and attacked them.

  • Num 13:31
    66%

    31But the men who had gone up with him said, "We cannot attack these people, for they are stronger than we are."