Joshua 5

1. And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan in front of the children of Israel until we had passed over, that their hearts melted. Neither was there spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel.

2. At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make sharp knives for yourselves and circumcise the children of Israel again, the second time.”

3. And Joshua made sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4. And this is the reason why Joshua had them circumcised. All the people that came out of Egypt, the males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the wayside after they came out of Egypt,

5. For all the people who came out were circumcised. But all the people born in the wilderness by the wayside, as they came forth out of Egypt, had not been circumcised,

6. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the people, the men of war who came out of Egypt, were destroyed because they did not obey the voice of the LORD. To them the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD swore to their fathers that He would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey.

7. And Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place, for they were not circumcised because they had not been circumcised by the way.

8. And it came to pass when they had finished circumcising all the people, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were whole.

9. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore, the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

10. And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

11. And they ate of the old grain of the land on the next day after the Passover, unleavened cakes and roasted new grain in the same day.

12. And the manna stopped on the next day after they had eaten the grain of the land. And there was no more manna for the children of Israel, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

13. And it came to pass, when Joshua was beside Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked. And, behold, there stood a Man in front of him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our foes?”

14. And He said, “No, but I have come as the Commander of the army of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth. And he worshiped and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15.And the Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, “Take your shoes off your feet for the place on which you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.