Joshua 5

1 And it cometh to pass when all the kings of the Amorite which [are] beyond the Jordan, towards the sea, and all the kings of the Canaanite which [are] by the sea, hear how that Jehovah hath dried up the waters of the Jordan at the presence of the sons of Israel till their passing over, that their heart is melted, and there hath not been in them any more spirit because of the presence of the sons of Israel.

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.

2 At that time said Jehovah unto Joshua, 'Make for thee knives of flint, and turn back, circumcise the sons of Israel a second time;'

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the new generation of Israelites.”

3 and Joshua maketh for him knives of flint, and circumciseth the sons of Israel at the height of the foreskins.

Joshua had flint knives made and all male Israelites were circumcised at the place that became known as “the hill of foreskins.”

4 And this [is] the thing [for] which Joshua circumciseth [them]: all the people who are coming out of Egypt, who are males, all the men of war have died in the wilderness, in the way, in their coming out of Egypt,

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.

5 for all the people who are coming out were circumcised, and all the people who [are] born in the wilderness, in the way, in their coming out from Egypt, they have not circumcised;

They had all been circumcised when they left Egypt, but those born on the journey since then had not.

6 for forty years have the sons of Israel gone in the wilderness, till all the nation of the men of war who are coming out of Egypt, who hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah, to whom Jehovah hath sworn not to show them the land which Jehovah sware to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, are consumed;

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.

7 and their sons He raised up in their stead, them hath Joshua circumcised, for they have been uncircumcised, for they have not circumcised them in the way.

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.

8 And it cometh to pass when all the nation have completed to be circumcised, that they abide in their places in the camp till their recovering;

Once they had all been circumcised, they stayed in the camp until they recovered.

9 and Jehovah saith unto Joshua, 'To-day I have rolled the reproach of Egypt from off you;' and [one] calleth the name of that place Gilgal unto this day.

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.

10 And the sons of Israel encamp in Gilgal, and make the passover on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the plains of Jericho;

The Israelites camped at Gilgal and celebrated Passover there on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.

11 and they eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow of the passover, unleavened things and roasted [corn], in this self-same day;

From the very next day they began to eat produce from the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.

12 and the manna doth cease on the morrow in their eating of the old corn of the land, and there hath been no more manna to the sons of Israel, and they eat of the increase of the land of Canaan in that year.

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.

13 And it cometh to pass in Joshua's being by Jericho, that he lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, one standing over-against him, and his drawn sword in his hand, and Joshua goeth unto him, and saith to him, 'Art thou for us or for our adversaries?'

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!”

14 And He saith, 'No, for I [am] Prince of Jehovah's host; now I have come;' and Joshua falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith to Him, 'What is my Lord speaking unto His servant?'

Joshua fell down with his face to the ground in awe. Then he said, “What orders does my lord have for his servant?”

15 And the Prince of Jehovah's host saith unto Joshua, 'Cast off thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place on which thou art standing is holy;' and Joshua doth so;

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.