Joshua 5

1 Nowe when all the Kings of the Amorites, which were beyond Iorden Westward, and all the Kinges of the Canaanites which were by the Sea, heard that the Lord had dried vp the waters of Iorden before the children of Israel vntill they were gone ouer, their heart fainted: and there was no courage in them any more because of the children of Israel.

All the kings of the people-groups to the west of the Jordan River and all the kings of the groups who were descendants of Canaan and who lived close to the [Mediterranean] Sea heard about how Yahweh had dried up the water of the Jordan [River] until all we Israeli people had crossed over. So they became very dismayed. They no longer were courageous enough to fight us.

2 That same time the Lord said vnto Ioshua, Make thee sharpe kniues, and returne, and circumcise the sonnes of Israel the second time.

While [they were camped at Gilgal], Yahweh said to Joshua, “[The Israeli males who lived in Egypt were circumcised before they left there. Now] make knives from flint stones and circumcise all the Israeli males [who have been born since then].”

3 Then Ioshua made him sharpe kniues and circumcised the sonnes of Israel in the hill of the foreskinnes.

So Joshua [made knives and] circumcised the Israeli males at a place that is now called ‘Circumcision Hill’.

4 And this is the cause why Ioshua circumcised all the people, euen the males that came out of Egypt, because all the men of warre were dead in the wildernesse by the way after they came out of Egypt.

[The reason they did that is that all the men who left Egypt], those who were old enough to be soldiers, died in the desert after they left Egypt.

5 For all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were borne in the wildernes by the way after they came out of Egypt, were not circumcised.

They had been circumcised in Egypt, but the baby boys who had been born while their parents were camping in the desert after they left Egypt had not been circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked fourtie yeres in the wildernes, till all the people of the men of warre that came out of Egypt were consumed, because they obeyed not the voyce of the Lord: vnto whome the Lord sware, that he would not shewe them the lande, which the Lord had sworne vnto their fathers, that he would giue vs, euen a land that floweth with milke and hony.

Our Israeli ancestors traveled around in the desert for 40 years, and all the men who were old enough to be soldiers had died. [The women had also died]. They had not obeyed Yahweh, so Yahweh said that they would not arrive at the land that he had promised to our ancestors that he would give to us, a land that was very fertile [MTY].

7 So their sonnes whome he raysed vp in their steade, Ioshua circumcised: for they were vncircumcised, because they circumcised them not by the way.

The sons of those who had disobeyed Yahweh were the ones whom Joshua circumcised at Gilgal. They were circumcised because they had not been circumcised [while they were traveling in the desert].

8 And when they had made an ende of circumcising al the people, they abode in the places in the campe till they were whole.

After all the Israeli males had been circumcised, they remained in the camp and rested until their wounds were healed.

9 After, the Lord said vnto Ioshua, This day I haue taken away the shame of Egypt from you: wherefore he called the name of that place Gilgal, vnto this day.

Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “[Because your forefathers were slaves in Egypt], the Egyptians felt a revulsion toward you. But today I have removed the revulsion the Egyptians have had toward you.” Because of that, the people called the place ‘Gilgal’, [which sounds like the Hebrew word ‘removed’, ] and it still has that name.

10 So the children of Israel abode in Gilgal, and kept ye feast of the Passeouer the fourteenth day of the moneth at euen in ye plaine of Iericho.

In the evening of the fourteenth day of that month, while the Israeli people were camped at Gilgal, on the plain near Jericho [city], they celebrated the Passover [Festival].

11 And they did eat of the corne of the land, on the morow after the Passeouer, vnleauened breade, and parched corne in the same day.

The next day, they found some barley grain in the fields in that area. So they took that and roasted it and ate it with bread that was made without yeast.

12 And the MAN ceased on the morowe after they had eaten of the corne of the land, neither had the children of Israel MAN any more, but did eate of the fruite of the land of Canaan that yeere.

The next day, [God] stopped [sending] manna for the Israeli people to eat. After that, they ate food that was grown in Canaan.

13 And when Ioshua was by Iericho, he lift vp his eyes and looked: and behold, there stood a man against him, hauing a sword drawen in his hand: and Ioshua went vnto him, and said vnto him, Art thou on our side, or on our aduersaries?

One day when Joshua came near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man was holding a sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you [going to fight] for us or against us?”

14 And he said, Nay, but as a captaine of the host of the Lord am I nowe come: then Ioshua fel on his face to the earth, and did worship, and saide vnto him, What sayth my Lord vnto his seruant?

The man replied, “I am not [planning to fight with you] or [against you]. Instead, I am the commander of Yahweh’s army [in heaven], and I have come [down from there to assure you that Yahweh will help you].” Then Joshua bowed down with his face on the ground (to show his respect for/to worship) the man, and said to him, “Tell me what [you want me to do].”

15 And the captaine of ye Lords host said vnto Ioshua, Loose thy shoe of thy foote: for ye place wheron thou standest, is holy: and Ioshua did so.

The commander of Yahweh’s army replied, “Take off your sandals! [I am Yahweh, and] the ground on which you are standing is holy because I am here.” So Joshua took off his sandals.