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.
15:1 Kut 4:25; Hes 13:29; Mwa 42:28; Yos 2:9-11; Kut 15:14; Za 48:6; Eze 21:7; 1Fal 10:5Basi wafalme wote wa Waamori magharibi ya Yordani na wafalme wote wa Kanaani waliokuwa kwenye pwani waliposikia jinsi Bwana alivyoukausha Mto Yordani mbele ya Waisraeli hata tulipokwisha kuvuka, mioyo yao ikayeyuka kwa hofu, wala hawakuwa na ujasiri kuwakabili Waisraeli.
Tohara Huko Gilgali
25:2 Kut 4:25; Mwa 17:10-14Wakati huo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Tengeneza visu vya mawe magumu sana na uwatahiri Waisraeli tena.” 3Kwa hiyo Yoshua akatengeneza visu vya mawe magumu sana na kutahiri Waisraeli huko Gibeath-Haaralothi.5:3 Gibeath-Haaralothi maana yake ni Kilima cha Magovi.
45:4 Hes 1:3; Kum 2:14, 16; Hes 14:29; 26:64Hii ndiyo sababu ya Yoshua kufanya hivyo: Wanaume wote waliotoka Misri, wote wenye umri wa kwenda vitani, walikufa jangwani wakiwa njiani baada ya kuondoka Misri. 5Watu wote waliotoka Misri walikuwa wametahiriwa, lakini watu wote waliozaliwa jangwani wakiwa safarini toka Misri walikuwa hawajatahiriwa. 65:6 Hes 32:13; Yos 14:10; Za 107:4; Kut 16:35; Hes 14:23-35; Kum 2:14; Kut 3:8Waisraeli walitembea jangwani miaka arobaini mpaka wanaume wote wale waliokuwa na umri wa kwenda vitani wakati waliondoka Misri walipokwisha kufa, kwa kuwa hawakumtii Bwana. Kwa maana Bwana alikuwa amewaapia kuwa wasingeweza kuona nchi ambayo alikuwa amewaahidi baba zao katika kuapa kutupatia, nchi inayotiririka maziwa na asali. 75:7 Hes 14:31Kwa hiyo akawainua wana wao baada yao na hawa ndio hao ambao Yoshua aliwatahiri. Walikuwa hawajatahiriwa bado kwa sababu walikuwa safarini. 85:8 Mwa 34:25Baada ya taifa lote kutahiriwa, waliendelea kukaa kambini mpaka walipokuwa wamepona.
95:9 Kum 11:30; 1Sam 14:6; Law 18:3; Yos 24:14; Eze 20:7Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Leo nimeiondoa aibu ya Wamisri kutoka kwenu.” Basi mahali pale pakaitwa Gilgali hadi leo.
105:10 Kut 12:6; 12:11Jioni ya siku ya kumi na nne ya mwezi, wakiwa kambini huko Gilgali katika tambarare za Yeriko, Waisraeli wakaadhimisha Pasaka. 115:11 Hes 15:19; Kut 12:15; Law 23:14; Hes 9:5Siku iliyofuata Pasaka, katika siku ile ile, wakala mazao ya nchi, mikate isiyotiwa chachu na nafaka za kukaanga. 125:12 Kut 16:35Mana ilikoma siku iliyofuata baada ya Waisraeli kula chakula kilichotoka katika nchi; hapakuwa na mana tena kwa ajili ya Waisraeli, ila mwaka huo walikula mazao ya nchi ya Kanaani.
Jemadari Wa Jeshi La Bwana
135:13 Mwa 18:2; Hes 22:23; Mwa 32:24; Kut 23:23; Mdo 1:10; Zek 1:8Basi wakati Yoshua alipokuwa karibu na Yeriko, akainua macho, akaona mtu aliyesimama mbele yake, akiwa na upanga mkononi uliofutwa kwenye ala. Yoshua akamwendea na kumuuliza, “Je, wewe uko upande wetu au upande wa adui zetu?”
145:14 Mwa 17:3; 19:1; Dan 10:13; Ufu 2:17; Law 9:24; Hes 16:22Akajibu, “La, siko upande wowote, lakini mimi nimekuja nikiwa jemadari wa jeshi la Bwana.” Yoshua akaanguka kifudifudi hadi chini, akasujudu, akamuuliza, “Je, Bwana, una ujumbe gani kwa mtumishi wako?” 155:15 Mwa 28:17; Kut 3:5; Mdo 7:33; Kut 19:10-13; Za 22:3; 29:2; Isa 6:3; 1Nya 26:25-29; 1Sam 2:2Jemadari wa jeshi la Bwana akajibu, “Vua viatu vyako, kwa maana mahali hapa unaposimama ni patakatifu.” Naye Yoshua akafanya hivyo.
