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Indeed, for forty years the Israelites traveled through the wilderness until all the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt, the ones who had disobeyed the Lord, died off.[a] For the Lord had sworn a solemn oath to them that he would not let them see the land he had sworn by oath to their ancestors to give them,[b] a land rich in[c] milk and honey. He replaced them with their sons,[d] whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way. When all the men[e] had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they had healed.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:6 tn Heb “all the nation, the men of war who went out from Egypt, who did not listen to the voice of the Lord, came to an end.”
  2. Joshua 5:6 tn Some Hebrew mss, as well as the Syriac version, support this reading. Most ancient witnesses read “us.”
  3. Joshua 5:6 tn Heb “flowing with.”sn The word picture a land rich in milk and honey depicts the land as containing many grazing areas (which would produce milk) and flowering plants (which would support the bees that produced honey).
  4. Joshua 5:7 tn Heb “their sons he raised up in their place.”
  5. Joshua 5:8 tn Heb “nation.”

The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness(A) forty years(B) until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,(C) a land flowing with milk and honey.(D) So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.(E)

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