Parallel Strong's Berean Study BibleOn returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.” Young's Literal Translation 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.’ King James Bible 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. Hebrew On returningוַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ (way·yā·šu·ḇū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to Joshua, יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites they reported, וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 559: To utter, say “There is no need אַל־ (’al-) Adverb Strong's 408: Not to send all כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every the people; הָעָם֒ (hā·‘ām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock two כְּאַלְפַּ֣יִם (kə·’al·pa·yim) Preposition-k | Number - md Strong's 505: A thousand or א֚וֹ (’ōw) Conjunction Strong's 176: Desire, if three כִּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת (kiš·lō·šeṯ) Preposition-k | Number - masculine singular construct Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice thousand אֲלָפִ֣ים (’ă·lā·p̄îm) Number - masculine plural Strong's 505: A thousand men [are enough] אִ֔ישׁ (’îš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person to go up יַעֲל֖וּ (ya·‘ă·lū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively and attack וְיַכּ֣וּ (wə·yak·kū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 5221: To strike Ai. הָעָ֑י (hā·‘āy) Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 5857: Ai -- a Canaanite city Since כִּ֥י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction the people of Ai הֵֽמָּה׃ (hêm·māh) Pronoun - third person masculine plural Strong's 1992: They are so few, מְעַ֖ט (mə·‘aṭ) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few you need not אַל־ (’al-) Adverb Strong's 408: Not wear out תְּיַגַּע־ (tə·yag·ga‘-) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3021: To gasp, to be exhausted, to tire, to toil all כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every our people הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock there.” שָׁ֙מָּה֙ (šām·māh) Adverb | third person feminine singular Strong's 8033: There, then, thither |