The Men of Israel Circumcised

1Now it happened when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until [†]they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.

2At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at [†]Gibeath-haaraloth. 4Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way when they came out of Egypt. 5For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6For the sons of Israel had walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, were completely destroyed because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh, to whom Yahweh had sworn that He would not let them see the land which Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7And their sons whom He raised up in their place, Joshua [†]circumcised; for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them along the way.

8Now it happened that when they had completed circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were [†]healed. 9Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called [†]Gilgal to this day.

10Then the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal and celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11And on the [†]day after the Passover, on [†]that very day, they ate some of the yield of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. 12Then the manna ceased on the [†]day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the produce of the land of Canaan during that year.

The Host of Yahweh’s Army

13Now it happened when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite 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! Rather I indeed come now as commander of the host of Yahweh.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and bowed down and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his slave?” 15The commander of the host of Yahweh said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.