Joshua 5 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

1 All the Amorite and Canaanite kings heard how the LORD had dried up the River Jordan. They heard how he had dried it up for the Israelites until they had gone across it. The Amorite kings lived west of the Jordan. The kings of Canaan lived along the Mediterranean Sea. When all those kings heard what the LORD had done, they were terrified. They weren’t brave enough to face the Israelites anymore.

Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Make knives out of flint. Use them to circumcise the men of Israel.’ 3 So Joshua made knives out of flint. Then he used them to circumcise the men of Israel at Gibeath Haaraloth. 4 Here is why Joshua circumcised them. All the men who came out of Egypt had died. They died while they were wandering through the Sinai Desert. They were the men old enough to serve in the army. 5 All the men who came out had been circumcised. But all the men born in the desert during the journey from Egypt hadn’t been circumcised. 6 The Israelites had moved around in the desert for 40 years. By the end of that time all the men old enough to serve in the army when they left Egypt had died. That’s because they hadn’t obeyed the LORD. He had made a promise to them. He had told them they wouldn’t see the land. It’s the land he had promised to their people to give us. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. 7 Because they hadn’t obeyed him, he raised up their sons to take their place. They were the ones Joshua circumcised. They hadn’t been circumcised yet. That’s because no one had circumcised them during the journey. 8 So Joshua circumcised all those men. The whole nation remained in the camp until the men were healed. 9 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua. He said, ‘Today I have taken away from you the shame of being slaves in Egypt.’ That’s why the place where the men were circumcised has been called Gilgal to this very day. 10 The Israelites celebrated the Passover Feast. They observed it on the evening of the 14th day of the month. They did it while they were camped at Gilgal on the plains around Jericho. 11 The day after the Passover, they ate some of the food grown in the land. On that same day they ate corn that had been cooked. They also ate bread made without yeast. 12 The manna stopped coming down the day after they ate the food grown in the land. The Israelites didn’t have manna anymore. Instead, that year they ate food grown in Canaan.

Israel captures Jericho

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. Joshua went up to him. He asked, ‘Are you on our side? Or are you on the side of our enemies?’ 14 ‘I am not on either side,’ he replied. ‘I have come as the commander of the LORD’s army.’ Then Joshua fell with his face to the ground. He asked the man, ‘What message does my Lord have for me?’ 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.’ So Joshua took them off.

Nya Levande Bibeln

from Biblica

Israel bekräftar sin överlåtelse till Herren

1 När folken på västra sidan Jordan, amoreerna och kananeerna, som bodde utmed Medelhavets kust, fick höra att Herren låtit Jordan torka upp så att Israels folk hade kunnat gå över, försvann allt deras mod, och de blev förlamade av skräck. 2-3 Herren sa då till Josua att han skulle låta omskära alla män i Israel. Detta var andra gången i Israels historia som sådant skedde. Herren gav dem instruktioner om att göra knivar av flinta för detta ändamål, och platsen där omskärelsen ägde rum fick namnet "Förhudshöjden". 4-5 Skälet till omskärelsen var att hela den generation som omskurits efter uttåget ur Egypten hade dött under vandringen i öknen. Ingen av de pojkar som fötts i öknen hade blivit omskuren. 6 Israel hade nämligen vandrat fram och tillbaka i öknen under fyrtio år, tills alla de män som varit gamla nog att bära vapen när de drog ut ur Egypten hade dött. De hade inte varit lydiga mot Herren, och han hade svurit och sagt att han inte skulle låta dem komma in i Löfteslandet, det land som "flyter av mjölk och honung". 7 Därför omskar Josua deras barn, som nu vuxit upp till män för att inta sina fäders platser. 8-9 Och Herren sa till Josua: "I dag har jag gjort slut på er skam." Platsen där detta skedde fick namnet Gilgal (vilket betyder att avvältra) och kallas så än i dag. Efter denna ceremoni vilade folket i lägret tills deras sår var läkta. 10 Medan de var i lägret vid Gilgal på Jerikoslätten, firade de påsk. Det skedde på kvällen den fjortonde dagen i månaden. 11-12 Nästa dag började de äta av landets skörd. De bakade ojäst bröd och rostade sädeskorn att äta. Dagen därpå föll inget manna, och det föll sedan aldrig mer! Från den stunden levde de av skörden i Kanaans land.

Josua möter en ängel

13 När Josua betraktade Jeriko på nära håll, visade sig en man med draget svärd. Josua gick fram till honom och frågade: "Är du vän eller fiende?" 14 "Jag är högste befälhavare över Herrens armé", svarade han. Josua böjde sig då till marken framför mannen och tillbad honom och sa: "Ge mig dina order."" 15 Ta av dig skorna", befallde ängeln honom, "för platsen du står på är helig mark." Josua gjorde som han blivit tillsagd.