1Now 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 Jordan before the Israelites until they5:1 Another textual tradition we had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal
2At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.5:3 Gibeath Haaraloth means the hill of foreskins.
4Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. 5All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 6The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
9Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll. to this day.
10On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12The manna stopped the day after5:12 Or the day they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.
The Fall of Jericho
13Now 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 went up to him and asked, “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 reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord5:14 Or lord have for his servant?”
15The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
在吉甲行割礼
1在约旦河西岸一带的亚摩利众王和沿海一带的迦南众王，听说耶和华为了让以色列人过河而使约旦河成为干地，都吓得胆战心惊，勇气尽失。
2那时，耶和华对约书亚说：“你用火石做成刀子，再次给以色列人行割礼。” 3约书亚便用火石做成刀子，在割礼山给以色列人行了割礼。 4约书亚给他们举行割礼，是因为所有从埃及出来、能够作战的男子都死在旷野的路上。 5从埃及出来的男子都受过割礼，而后来在旷野出生的以色列人都没有受过割礼。 6以色列人在旷野飘泊了四十年，直到从埃及出来可以作战的男子都死了为止，因为他们不听从耶和华的话。耶和华向他们起誓，不让他们看见那奶蜜之乡，衪曾应许他们祖先要把那个地方赐给他们。 7耶和华立他们的子孙代替他们。这新一代的以色列人没有受过割礼，因为在路上没有为他们行过割礼。于是，约书亚为他们行了割礼。
8全体民众受了割礼后，都留在自己的营内，直到康复为止。 9耶和华对约书亚说：“今天我除去了你们在埃及受的羞辱。”因此，那地方叫吉甲5:9 “吉甲”意思是“除去”。，沿用至今。
在迦南守逾越节
10以色列人都在耶利哥平原上的吉甲扎营，并于一月十四日傍晚在那里守逾越节。 11第二天他们就吃当地的谷物，吃无酵饼和烤麦穗。 12他们吃了当地出产后的第二天，吗哪便不再降下，以色列人再没有吗哪吃了。那一年他们开始吃迦南的出产。
耶和华军队的元帅
13约书亚走近耶利哥，举目看见一个人手里拿着拔出来的剑站在他面前。约书亚上前去问道：“你是来帮助我们的，还是来帮助我们敌人的？” 14那人答道：“都不是，我来是做耶和华军队的统帅。”约书亚就俯伏下拜说：“我主，有什么话要吩咐仆人？” 15耶和华军队的统帅对约书亚说：“把你脚上的鞋脱下！因为你站的地方是圣洁的。”约书亚便把鞋脱下来。
