CHAPTER 5

1 And it was when all the Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, on the west, and all the Canaanitish kings who were near the sea, had heard that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel till they passed over, their heart was melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them before the children of Israel.

2 At that time Jehovah said to Joshua, Make for thee sharp knives, and again circumcise the children of Israel the second time.

3 And Joshua made himself sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of foreskins.

4 Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them. The whole people who had come out from Egypt, all the males, men of war, had died in the desert on the way after they had come out from Egypt.

5 For the whole people who came out had been circumcised, but the whole people who had been born in the desert on the way, after they had come out from Egypt, they had not circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked through the desert till the extinction of the whole race of the men of war, who had come out from Egypt, who had not listened to the voice of Jehovah, to whom Jehovah had sworn that he would not show the land of which he had sworn to their fathers that he would give them — a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 Their sons accordingly whom he substituted in their place, Joshua circumcised, because they were uncircumcised; for they had not circumcised them by the way.

8 And when the whole people were circumcised, they remained in their place in the camp till they were healed.

9 Jehovah said to Joshua, This day have I rolled off the reproach of Egypt from you. And he called the name of that place Gilgal even to this day.

10 The children of Israel therefore encamped in Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

11 And they ate unfermented bread of the produce of the land, the day after the Passover, and cake on the very same day.

12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the corn of the country, nor had the children of Israel manna any longer, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

13 And it happened when Joshua was at Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a man stood over against him, in whose hand was a drawn sword, and Joshua went to him, and said to him, Art thou on our side? or art thou on our enemies’ side?

14 And he said, Nay, but I am prince of the army of Jehovah: I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the ground, and worshipped, and said to him, What says my Lord to his servant?

15 And the prince of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, Loose thy shoe from thy feet: for the place on which thou stands is holiness. And Joshua did so.