Joshua 5

1 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.

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Emorites, who were on the side of the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until they were passed over, that their heart melted, and there remained no more any courage in them, because of the children of Israel.

2 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].”

At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

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

And Joshua made himself sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of 'Araloth.

4 [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.

And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, the males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness on the way, after their going forth out of Egypt.

5 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.

For all the people that came out were circumcised; but all the people that were born in the wilderness on the way at their going forth out of Egypt, they had not circumcised.

6 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].

For during forty years the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, till there was an end of all the people, the men of war, who were come out of Egypt, who had not obeyed the voice of the Lord; unto whom the Lord had sworn that he would not let them see the land, which the Lord had sworn unto their fathers that he would give unto us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 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].

But their children he raised up in their stead: these did Joshua circumcise; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

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

And it came to pass, when the whole people had all been circumcised, that they abode in their places in the camp till they were healed.

9 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.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. And he called the name of the place Gilgal unto this day.

10 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].

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and they prepared the passover-offering on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

11 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.

And they ate of the corn of the land on the morrow after the passover-offering, unleavened cakes and parched corn, on the selfsame day.

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

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the corn of the land; and the children of Israel had not any more manna; but they did eat of the product of the land of Canaan during that year.

13 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?”

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a man was standing over against him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went unto him, and said to him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

14 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].”

And he said, No; for I am a captain of the host of the Lord: now am I come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed himself, and said to him, What doth my lord speak unto his servant?

15 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.

And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.