Israel’s Enemies Become Discouraged

1All the Amorite kings who lived across the Jordan River to the west and all the Canaanite kings by the Mediterraneana Sea became discouraged as soon as they heard that the LORD had dried up the water of the Jordan River for the people of Israel until they had crossed it. They no longer had a will to fightb because of the people of Israel.

A New Generation is Circumcised

2At that time the LORD told Joshua, “Make for yourselves some flint knives and circumcise the Israelis who haven’t been circumcised yet.”c

3So Joshua made some flint knives and circumcised the Israelis at Gibeath-haaraloth.d 4Joshua circumcised them because all of the males among the people who came out of Egypt—that is, all the warriors—had died during their journey through the wilderness following their departure from Egypt. 5Although everyone who had left Egypt had been circumcised, nevertheless all the people born during the journey after their departure from Egypt had not been circumcised. 6The Israelis traveled 40 years in the wilderness until the entire nation—that is, the warriors who had departed from Egypt—had perished because they hadn’t listened to the voice of the LORD. The LORD had promised them that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 7As a result, it was their descendants, whom he raised up to take their place, that Joshua circumcised. They had remained uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised during their journey. 8When the circumcision of the entire nation was complete, they remained in their places within the camp until they were healed.

9Then the LORD told Joshua, “Today I have rolled the disgrace of Egypt away from you.” That’s why that place is called “Gilgal”e to this day.

The Manna Ceases

10While the Israelis remained encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover during the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. 11On the day following Passover—on that exact day—they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land. Since the Israelis no longer received manna, they ate crops from the land of Canaan that year.

Joshua is Visited by the LORD

13Now it happened that while Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and much to his amazement, he saw a man standing in front of him, holding a drawn sword in his hand! Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you one of us, or are you with our enemies?”

14“Neither,” he answered. “I have come as commander of the LORD’s Army.”

Joshua immediately fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, saying to him, “Lord, what do you have for your servant by way of command?”

15The commander of the LORD’s Army replied to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you’re standing is holy.” So Joshua did so.