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. {about...: Heb. about two thousand men, or, about three thousand men}
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.”
וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָיו֮ אַל־יַ֣עַל כָּל־הָעָם֒ כְּאַלְפַּ֣יִם אִ֗ישׁ א֚וֹ כִּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ יַעֲל֖וּ וְיַכּ֣וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑י אַל־תְּיַגַּע־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֔ם כִּ֥י מְעַ֖ט הֵֽמָּה׃
vayashubv ʾel-yhvoshuʿa vayoʾmrv ʾelayv ʾal-yaʿal kal-haʿam kʾalpayim ʾiysh ʾvo kishloshet ʾalapiym ʾiysh yaʿalv vyakv ʾet-haʿay ʾal-tyagaʿ-shamah ʾet-kal-haʿam kiy mʿaṭ hemah