Shared Word Translation
Joshua 5
The Kings Lose Heart
When all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan toward the sea, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel until they crossed, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the children of Israel.
Israel Is Circumcised at Gilgal
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise the children of Israel again a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the children of Israel at Gibeath-Haaraloth. This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out from Egypt, the males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they came out from Egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way after coming out from Egypt had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the nation, the men of war who came out from Egypt, had perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD. The LORD had sworn to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Their children, whom he raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them on the way. When the whole nation had finished being circumcised, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
Passover in the Land
The children of Israel camped at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain, on that very day. The manna ceased on the day after they ate from the produce of the land. There was no longer manna for the children of Israel, and they ate from the produce of the land of Canaan that year.
The Commander of the LORD’s Army
When Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted his eyes and looked, and look, a man was standing opposite him with his drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No, but I am commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” Then Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” The commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandal from your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.