Pesah Day 1

This translation was taken from the JPS Tanakh

Joshua 5:2 – 15; 6:1,27

Chapter 5

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and proceed with a second circumcision of the Israelites.” ³ So Joshua had flint knives made, and the Israelites were circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth.

⁴ This is the reason why Joshua had the circumcision performed: All the people who had come out of Egypt, all the males of military age, had died during the desert wanderings after leaving Egypt. ⁵ Now, whereas all the people who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, none of the people born after the exodus, during the desert wanderings, had been circumcised. ⁶ For the Israelites had traveled in the wilderness forty years, until the entire nation — the men of military age who had left Egypt — had perished; because they had not obeyed the Lord, and the Lord had sworn never to let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to assign to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ But He had raised up their sons in their stead; and it was these that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, not having been circumcised on the way. ⁸ After the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were, in the camp, until they recovered.

⁹ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” So that place was called Gilgal, as it still is.

¹⁰ Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening.

¹¹ On the day after the passover offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain. ¹² On that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

¹³ Once, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked him, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?” ¹⁴ He replied, “No, I am captain of the Lord’s host. Now I have come!” Joshua threw himself face down on the ground and, prostrating himself, said to him, “What does my lord command his servant?” ¹⁵ The captain of the Lord’s host answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Chapter 6
¹ Now Jericho was shut up tight because of the Israelites; no one could leave or enter.

²⁷ The Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Taken from Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem: Jewish Publication Society) 1985.
Used by permission of The Jewish Publication Society. Copyright © 1962, 1992
Third Edition by the Jewish Publication Society.
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