Joshua 5: The Amorite Kings And Canaanite Kings Fear God After He Dried Up The Jordan River
1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coastĀ heard how theĀ LordĀ had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until theyĀ had crossed over, their hearts melted in fearĀ and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal
2Ā At that time theĀ LordĀ said to Joshua, āMake flint knivesĀ and circumciseĀ the Israelites again.āĀ
3Ā So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.
4Ā Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egyptāall the men of military ageādied in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.Ā
5Ā All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not.Ā
6Ā The Israelites had moved about in the wildernessĀ forty yearsĀ until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed theĀ Lord. For theĀ LordĀ had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,Ā a land flowing with milk and honey.Ā
7Ā So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.Ā
8Ā And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
9Ā Then theĀ LordĀ said to Joshua, āToday I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.ā So the place has been called GilgalĀ to this day.
10Ā On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,Ā while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.Ā
11Ā The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land:Ā unleavened breadĀ and roasted grain.Ā
12Ā The manna stopped the day afterĀ they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.
The Fall of Jericho
13Ā Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a manĀ standing in front of him with a drawn swordĀ in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, āAre you for us or for our enemies?ā
14Ā āNeither,ā he replied, ābut as commander of the army of theĀ LordĀ I have now come.ā Then Joshua fell facedownĀ to the groundĀ in reverence, and asked him, āWhat message does my LordĀ have for his servant?ā
15Ā The commander of theĀ Lordās army replied, āTake off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.āĀ And Joshua did so.
