1 ARST All the kings of the Amorites on the west of the Jordan River and all the kings of Canaanites, who lived close to the Mediterranean coast, heard about how Yahweh had dried up the water of the Jordan River until all the people of Israel had crossed over. They were so afraid that they became too afraid to fight the Israelites, because they had heard all about them. BSB BSB: Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.
2 ARST At that time Yahweh said to Joshua,“Now make knives from flint stones and circumcise all the Israelite males who have not been circumcised.” BSB BSB: At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”
3 ARST So Joshua made sharp stone knives and circumcised the Israelite males at a place that is now called Gibeath Haaraloth. BSB BSB: So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
4 ARST The reason they did that is that all the men who left Egypt, all those old enough to be soldiers, they all had been circumcised, but all of them had died in the desert after they left Egypt. BSB BSB: Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt.
5 ARST They had been circumcised in Egypt, but the boys who had been born while they were in the desert after they left Egypt, had not been circumcised. BSB BSB: Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised.
6 ARST The people of Israel walked through the desert for forty years, until all the people, including all the men who were old enough to be soldiers, they all had died. They had not obeyed Yahweh, so Yahweh said that they would not see the land that he had promised to them— a land that was very fertile— the land was so fertile that they said it had milk and honey flowing through it, just as rivers flow with water. BSB BSB: For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
7 ARST The sons of those who had disobeyed Yahweh were the ones whom Joshua circumcised at Gilgal. They were circumcised because they had not been circumcised while they were traveling in the desert. BSB BSB: And He raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
8 ARST After all the Israelite males had been circumcised, they remained in the camp and rested until they healed. BSB BSB: And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed.
9 ARST Then Yahweh said to Joshua,“Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” So, the name of the place is Gilgal, even now. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
10 ARST In the evening of the fourteenth day of that month, while the Israelite people were camped at Gilgal, on the plain near the city of Jericho, there they celebrated the Passover feast. BSB BSB: On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover.
11 ARST The day after the Passover they ate some bread made without yeast, and they roasted the grain. BSB BSB: The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.
12 ARST The next day God stopped sending manna for them to eat. They ate food that had grown in the land of Canaan beginning that year. BSB BSB: And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.
13 ARST While Joshua was standing near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man in front of him. The man had drawn his sword and was holding it in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked him,“Are you on our side, or are you on the side of our enemies?” BSB BSB: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
14 ARST The man said to Joshua,“Neither side. I am the commander of Yahweh’ s army, and now I have come.” Then Joshua fell to the ground with his face on the earth to show him respect. Joshua said to him,“What do you, my master, command me to do? I am your servant.” BSB BSB: “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
15 ARST The commander of Yahweh’ s army said to Joshua,“Take your sandals off of your feet, for the ground on which you are standing is holy.” So Joshua took off his sandals. BSB BSB: The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
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