13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, (A)a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 He said, “No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the Lord.” And Joshua (B)fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” 15 And the captain of the Lords army said to Joshua, “(C)Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The Conquest of Jericho

Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with (D)its king and the valiant warriors.

The Fall of Jericho

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man(A) standing in front of him with a drawn sword(B) 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(C) to the ground(D) in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord[a] have for his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”(E) And Joshua did so.

Now the gates of Jericho(F) were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered(G) Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:14 Or lord