2. While Israel was camped at Gilgal, the Lord said, “Joshua, make some flint knives and circumcise the rest of the Israelite men and boys.”
3. Joshua made the knives, then circumcised those men and boys at Haaraloth Hill.
8. Everyone who had been circumcised needed time to heal, and they stayed in camp.
9. The Lord told Joshua, “It was a disgrace for my people to be slaves in Egypt, but now I have taken away that disgrace.” So the Israelites named the place Gilgal, and it still has that name.
10. Israel continued to camp at Gilgal in the desert near Jericho, and on the fourteenth day of the same month, they celebrated Passover.
13. One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies' side?”
14. “Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the Lord's army.”Joshua fell to his knees and bowed down to the ground. “I am your servant,” he said. “Tell me what to do.”
15. “Take off your sandals,” the commander answered. “This is a holy place.”So Joshua took off his sandals.