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all the kings of the Amorites on the western side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any courage or hope left in them because of the Israelites.
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel again a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 All the people who came out were circumcised, but after the Israelites had come out of Egypt all the people born in the wilderness along the way had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites who came out of Egypt wandered in the wilderness for forty years, until all the men of war from the nation had died because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that He would not let them see the land that He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 But He had raised up their sons in their place, and it was these whom Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised along the way.
8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were in the camp until they had finished healing. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna ceased the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land. The Israelites no longer had manna, but that year they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan.
13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. Joshua when up to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither”, He replied, “but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in worship, and he asked Him, “What does my Lord want to say to His servant?”
15 The Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandals from off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.