1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, You have kept all that
Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to my voice in
all that I commanded you: 3 you have not left your brothers these
many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Yahweh
your God. 4 Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he
spoke to them: therefore now turn you, and get you to your tents, to the
land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond
the Jordan. 5 Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law
which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, and
to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him,
and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6 So Joshua
blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents. 7 Now to
the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan;
but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan
westward; moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed
them, 8 and spoke to them, saying, Return with much wealth to your tents,
and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and
with iron, and with very much clothing: divide the spoil of your enemies with
your brothers. 9 The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out
of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to
the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the
commandment of Yahweh by Moses. 10 When they came to the region about the
Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the
children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the
Jordan, a great altar to look on. 11 The children of Israel heard say,
Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of
Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the
region about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of Israel.
12 When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the
children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against
them to war. 13 The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and
to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of
Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten
princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and
they were everyone of them head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands
of Israel. 15 They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of
Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke
with them, saying, 16 Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, What
trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to
turn away this day from following Yahweh, in that you have built you an
altar, to rebel this day against Yahweh? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too
little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day,
although there came a plague on the congregation of Yahweh, 18 that
you must turn away this day from following Yahweh? and it will be,
seeing you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry
with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 However, if the land of your
possession be unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of
Yahweh, in which Yahweh’s tent dwells, and take possession among us: but
don’t rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar
besides the altar of Yahweh our God. 20 Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah
commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the
congregation of Israel? and that man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.
21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe
of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22 The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and
Israel he shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh
(don’t save us this day,) 23 that we have built us an altar to turn away
from following Yahweh; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or
meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let
Yahweh himself require it; 24 and if we have not rather out of
carefulness done this, and of purpose, saying, In time to come your
children might speak to our children, saying, What have you to do with
Yahweh, the God of Israel? 25 for Yahweh has made the Jordan a border
between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad; you
have no portion in Yahweh: so might your children make our children cease
from fearing Yahweh. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us
an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 but it shall be a
witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may
do the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, and with our
sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not tell our
children in time to come, You have no portion in Yahweh. 28 Therefore
said we, It shall be, when they so tell us or to our generations in time to
come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Yahweh, which our
fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness
between us and you. 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against
Yahweh, and turn away this day from following Yahweh, to build an altar for
burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of
Yahweh our God that is before his tent. 30 When Phinehas the priest, and
the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel
that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the
children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.
31 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben,
and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we know
that Yahweh is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this
trespass against Yahweh: now have you delivered the children of Israel
out of the hand of Yahweh. 32 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and
the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of
Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of
Israel, and brought them word again. 33 The thing pleased the children of
Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up
against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and
the children of Gad lived. 34 The children of Reuben and the children of
Gad called the altar Ed: For, said they, it is a witness
between us that Yahweh is God.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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