< Joshua 5 >

1 When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings of the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the River Jordan so that the Israelites could cross over, their courage melted and they no longer had any fighting spirit to face the Israelites.
When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel.
2 At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the new generation of Israelites.”
At that time, the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”
3 Joshua had flint knives made and all male Israelites were circumcised at the place that became known as “the hill of foreskins.”
Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4 This is the reason why Joshua had them all circumcised: all those who left Egypt—the men of fighting age—had died on the journey through the wilderness after the Exodus.
This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5 They had all been circumcised when they left Egypt, but those born on the journey since then had not.
For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
6 For forty years the Israelites traveled through the wilderness until all the men of fighting age when they left Egypt had died, because they had not done what the Lord had told them to do. So the Lord had vowed that he would not let them see the land he had promised their forefathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice. The LORD swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which the LORD swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
7 The Lord replaced them with their children, and these were the ones that Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised since they hadn't been circumcised on the way.
Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.
8 Once they had all been circumcised, they stayed in the camp until they recovered.
When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.
9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed from all of you the disgrace of Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day.
10 The Israelites camped at Gilgal and celebrated Passover there on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.
11 From the very next day they began to eat produce from the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.
They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.
12 On the same day when they began eating produce from the land there was no more manna. No longer did the Israelites have manna; after that they ate the produce of the land of Canaan.
The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13 One day when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or against us?” “Neither,” said the man. “I am the commander of the Lord's army. Now I'm here!”
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”
14 Joshua fell down with his face to the ground in awe. Then he said, “What orders does my lord have for his servant?”
He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
15 The commander of the Lord's army told Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you're standing is holy ground.” Joshua did so.
The prince of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

< Joshua 5 >