Joshua 5

5When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast

heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.H4428H567H5676H3383H3220H4428H3669H3220H8085H3068H3001H4325H3383H6440H1121H3478H5674H3824H4549H7307H6440H1121H3478

Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies

2At that time the LORD told Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites

."H6256H3068H559H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H7725H1121H3478H81453So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth

.H3091H6213H6697H2719H4135H1121H3478H1389H61904Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness.H1697H3091H4135H5971H3318H4714H2145H582H4421H4191H4057H1870H3318H47145Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised.H3588H5971H3318H4135H5971H3209H4057H1870H3318H4714H41356The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the LORD, and the LORD vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.H1121H3478H1980H705H8141H4057H1471H582H4421H3318H4714H8552H8085H6963H3068H3068H7650H7200H776H3068H7650H1H5414H776H2100H2461H17067So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers' places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land.H1121H6965H3091H4135H6189H4135H18708After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.H8552H4135H1471H3427H4264H24219Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt." So that place has been called Gilgal

to this day.H3068H559H3091H3117H1556H2781H4714H8034H4725H7121H1537H311710While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month

.H1121H3478H2583H1537H6213H6453H702H6240H3117H2320H6153H6160H340511The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land.H398H5669H776H4283H6453H4682H7033H6106H311712No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.H4478H7673H4283H398H5669H776H1121H3478H4478H398H8393H776H3667H8141

The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua

13When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?"H3091H3405H5375H5869H7200H5975H376H2719H8025H3027H3091H3212H559H686214"Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the LORD's army." At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you want your servant to do?"H559H8269H6635H3068H935H3091H5307H6440H776H7812H559H1696H113H565015The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did as he was told.H8269H3068H6635H559H3091H5394H5275H7272H4725H5975H6944H3091H6213