^4-6 (A)When the people of Israel left Egypt, all the males were already circumcised. However, during the forty years the people spent crossing the desert, none of the baby boys had been circumcised. Also, by the end of that time all the men who were of fighting age when they left Egypt had died because they had disobeyed the Lord. Just as he had sworn, they were not allowed to see the rich and fertile land that he had promised their ancestors. ⁷ The sons of these men had never been circumcised, and it was this new generation that Joshua circumcised.

⁸ After the circumcision was completed, the whole nation stayed in the camp until the wounds had healed.