Joshua 5

¹Therefore, after all the kings of the Amorites, who were living across the Jordan toward the western region, and all the kings of Canaan, who possessed the places beside the great sea, had heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel, until they crossed over it, their heart was broken, and there remained in them no spirit, out of fear at the entrance of the sons of Israel.

²So at that time, the Lord said to Joshua: “Make for yourself knives of stone, and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”

³He did what the Lord had commanded, and he circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

⁴Now this is the reason for the second circumcision: All the people who departed from Egypt of the male gender, all the men fit for war, died in the desert during the very long wandering way;

⁵all these had been circumcised. But the people who were born in the desert,

⁶throughout the forty years of the journey in the very broad wilderness, were uncircumcised, until the ones who had not listened to the voice of the Lord were consumed. For he had sworn to them before, that he would not reveal to them the land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷The sons of these ones succeeded to the place of their fathers, and they were circumcised by Joshua. For they were uncircumcised, just as they had been born, and no one had circumcised them along the way.

⁸Then, after they were all circumcised, they remained in the same place of the camp until they were healed.

⁹And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have taken away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And the name of that place was called Gilgal, even to the present day.

¹⁰And the sons of Israel stayed at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the plains of Jericho.

¹¹And on the following day, they ate unleavened bread from the grain of the land, and cooked grain, of the same year.

¹²And the manna ceased after they ate from the grain of the land. And the sons of Israel no longer made use of that food. Instead, they ate from the grain of the present year, from the land of Canaan.

¹³And when Joshua was in the field of the city of Jericho, he lifted up his eyes, and he saw a man standing opposite him, holding a drawn sword. And he went to him and said, “Are you one of ours, or one of our adversaries?”

¹⁴And he responded: “Not at all. Instead, I am a prince of the host of the Lord, and now I have arrived.”

¹⁵Joshua fell prone on the ground. And reverencing, he said, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

¹⁶He said: “Remove your shoes from your feet. For the place on which you stand is holy.” And Joshua did just as he had been commanded.

Joshua 5

¹Now when all the kings of the Amorrhites, who dwelt beyond the Jordan, westward, and all the kings of Chanaan, who possessed the places near the great sea, had heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel, till they passed over, their heart failed them, and there remained no spirit in them, fearing the coming in of the children of Israel.

²At that time the Lord said to Joshua: Make thee knives of stone, and circumcise the second time the children of Israel.

³He did what the Lord had commanded, and he circumcised the children of Israel in the hill of the foreskins.

⁴Now this is the cause of the second circumcision: All the people that came out of Egypt that were males, all the men fit for war, died in the desert, during the time of the long going about in the way:

⁵Now these were all circumcised. But the people that were born in the desert,

⁶During the forty years of the journey in the wide wilderness, were uncircumcised: till all they were consumed that had not heard the voice of the Lord, and to whom he had sworn before, that he would not shew them the land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷The children of these succeeded in the place of their fathers, and were circumcised by Joshua: for they were uncircumcised even as they were born, and no one had circumcised them in the way.

⁸Now after they were all circumcised, they remained in the same place of the camp, until they were healed.

⁹And the Lord said to Joshua: This day have I taken away from you the reproach of Egypt. And the name of that place was called Galgal, until this present day.

¹⁰And the children of Israel abode in Galgal, and they kept the phase, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the plains of Jericho:

¹¹And they ate on the next day unleavened bread of the corn of the land, and frumenty of the same year.

¹²And the manna ceased after they ate of the corn of the land, neither did the children of Israel use that food any more, but they ate of the corn of the present year of the land of Chanaan.

¹³And when Joshua was in the field of the city of Jericho, he lifted up his eyes, and saw a man standing over against him, holding a drawn sword, and he went to him, and said: Art thou one of ours, or of our adversaries?

¹⁴And he answered: No: but I am prince of the host of the Lord, and now I am come.

¹⁵Joshua fell on his face to the ground. And worshipping, said: What saith my lord to his servant?

¹⁶Loose, saith he, thy shoes from off thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did as was commanded him.