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 Amorites who were over the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan, from before the sons of Israel, until they had passed over, that their heart melted, and there was no spirit in them any more, because of the sons 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, said Yahweh unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, —and again circumcise the sons of Israel, a second time.

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

So Joshua made him knives of flint, —and circumcised the sons of Israel, at the Hill of Foreskins.

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.

Now, this, is the cause why Joshua did circumcise, —all the people who came forth out of Egypt, who were males, all the men of war, died in the desert, by the way, after they came 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, though all the people who came forth had been circumcised, yet, all the people who were born in the desert by the way, after they came forth out of Egypt, had they 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].

Because, for forty years, did the sons of Israel journey in the desert, until all the nation who were men of war, who came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh, —unto whom Yahweh sware that he would not let them see the land, which Yahweh sware 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].

Their sons, therefore, whom he had raised up in their stead, them, did Joshua circumcise, —for, uncircumcised, they were, in that they had not circumcised them by the way.

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

And so it came to pass, when they had made an end of circumcising all the nation, they remained in their place, in the camp, until 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.

Then said Yahweh unto Joshua, To-day, have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of that place is called Gilgal ["a rolling away"]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].

Thus then the sons of Israel encamped in Gilgal, —and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, in the waste 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 did eat of the corn of the land, on the morrow of the passover, unleavened cakes and parched ears of corn, —on this 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, when they had eaten of the corn of the land, neither had the sons of Israel manna any more, —so they did eat of the yield of the land of Canaan throughout 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, while Joshua was at Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes, and looked, and lo! a man standing over against him, with his sword drawn, in his hand, —so Joshua went unto him, and said to him, For us, art thou, 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—Nay, but, I, as prince of the host of Yahweh, have, now, come. So Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said unto him, What is my lord speaking 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.

Then said the prince of the host of Yahweh unto Joshua—Slip off thy sandals from thy feet, for, as for the place whereon thou art standing, holy, it is. And Joshua did so.