[1] Now when the news came to all the kings of the Amorites on the west
side of Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites living by the sea, how
the Lord had made the waters of Jordan dry before the children of Israel,
till they had gone across, their hearts became like water, and there was no
more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel. [2] At that time
the Lord said to Joshua, Make yourself stone knives and give the children
of Israel circumcision a second time. [3] So Joshua made stone knives and
gave the children of Israel circumcision at Gibeath-ha-araloth. [4] And
this is the reason why Joshua did so: all the males of the people who came
out of Egypt, all the fighting-men, had been overtaken by death in the
waste land on the way, after they came out of Egypt. [5] All the people who
came out had undergone circumcision; but all the people whose birth had
taken place in the waste land on their journey from Egypt had not. [6] For
the children of Israel were wandering in the waste land for forty years,
till all the nation, that is, all the fighting-men, who had come out of
Egypt, were dead, because they did not give ear to the voice of the Lord:
to whom the Lord said, with an oath, that he would not let them see the
land which the Lord had given his word to their fathers to give us, a land
flowing with milk and honey. [7] And their children, who came up in their
place, now underwent circumcision by the hands of Joshua, not having had it
before: for there had been no circumcision on the journey. [8] So when all
the nation had undergone circumcision, they kept in their tents till they
were well again. [9] And the Lord said to Joshua, Today the shame of Egypt
has been rolled away from you. So that place was named Gilgal, to this day.
[10] So the children of Israel put up their tents in Gilgal; and they kept
the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, in the
lowlands of Jericho. [11] And on the day after the Passover, they had for
their food the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and dry grain on the
same day. [12] And there was no more manna from the day after they had for
their food the produce of the land; the children of Israel had manna no
longer, but that year the produce of the land of Canaan was their food.
[13] Now when Joshua was near Jericho, lifting up his eyes he saw a man in
front of him, with his sword uncovered in his hand: and Joshua went up to
him and said, Are you for us or against us? [14] And he said, No; but I
have come as captain of the armies of the Lord. Then Joshua, falling down
with his face to the earth in worship, said, What has my lord to say to his
servant? [15] And the captain of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Take off
your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy. And Joshua
did so.
