²⁶ Joshua didn’t pull back the hand that was stretched out holding a dagger until he had wiped out the whole population of Ai as something reserved for God. ²⁷ However, Israel did take the cattle and other booty of that city as plunder for themselves, in agreement with the command that the Lord had given Joshua. ²⁸ Then Joshua burned Ai. He made it a permanently deserted mound. That is still the case today.