Joshua 5

1When all the Amorite kings beyond the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings by the sea heard that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted, and no spirit remained in them any longer because of the Israelites.

2At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself and circumcise Israel's children again, a second time."

3Joshua made flint knives for himself and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4The reason Joshua circumcised was that all the people who came out of Egypt—the males, all the men of war—had died in the wilderness on the way after they came out of Egypt.

5For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness along the way when they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

6Because Israel's people journeyed forty years in the wilderness until the entire nation of fighting men who marched out from Egypt came to an end, since they refused to heed Yahweh's voice, whom Yahweh vowed not to let them see the land Yahweh vowed to their forefathers to grant us, a land gushing with milk and honey.

7Joshua circumcised their children, whom he raised up in their place, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.

9Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore that place was named Gilgal to this day.

10The sons of Israel encamped in Gilgal and observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening in the plains of Jericho.

11They ate unleavened bread and parched grain from the old produce of the land the day after the Passover, that very day.

12The manna ceased the next day after they had eaten the old grain of the land, and no more manna was available to the children of Israel, but they ate the produce of the land of Canaan that year.

13It happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked—and behold, a man stood facing him with his sword drawn in his hand—and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"

14He said, "No, but I am captain of Yahweh's army; now I have come." Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshiped, then said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"

15The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Remove your shoe from your foot, for the place where you stand upon it is holy." Joshua did so.