1And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites , which were on the side of Jordan westward , and all the kings of the Canaanites , which were by the sea , heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel , until we were passed over , that their heart melted , neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel . 2At that time the LORD said unto Joshua , Make thee sharp knives , and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time . 3And Joshua made him sharp knives , and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins . 4And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise : All the people that came out of Egypt , that were males , even all the men of war , died in the wilderness by the way , after they came out of Egypt . 5Now all the people that came out were circumcised : but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt , them they had not circumcised . 6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness , till all the people that were men of war , which came out of Egypt , were consumed , because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD : unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land , which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey . 7And their children , whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised : for they were uncircumcised , because they had not circumcised them by the way . 8And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people , that they abode in their places in the camp , till they were whole . 9And the LORD said unto Joshua , This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day .
The Passover Celebration
10And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal , and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho . 11And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover , unleavened cakes , and parched corn in the selfsame day . 12And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land ; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year .
The Commander of the Lord's Army
13And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho , that he lifted up his eyes and looked , and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand : and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries ? 14And he said , Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come . And Joshua fell on his face to the earth , and did worship , and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant ? 15And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua , Loose thy shoe from off thy foot ; for the place whereon thou standest is holy . And Joshua did so.