After forty years of wandering in the wilderness since the Exodus, the Israelites, now led by Joshua, have crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land and are approaching the city of Jericho.

9And the Eternal said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt slavery.’ So that place was called Gilgal, as it still is. 10Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening. 11On the day after the passover offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain. 12On that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna stopped. The Israelites got no more manna, so from that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
13Once, 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 one of our enemies?” 14He replied, ‘No, I am captain of God’s host. Now I have come!’ Joshua threw himself face down to the ground and, bowing down, said to him, ‘What does my lord command his servant?’ 15The captain of God’s host answered Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And so Joshua did.