Josh 22
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 YHWH commanded you,
and have hearkened to my voice in all that I commanded you:
3
you have not left your brethren these many days to this day, but have kept the charge
of the commandment of YHWH your God.
4
And now YHWH your God has given rest to your brethren, 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 YHWH gave you beyond the Jordan.
5
Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant
of YHWH commanded you, to love YHWH 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 brethren 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
raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
9
And 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 YHWH by Moses.
10
And 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 upon.
11
And 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
And 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
And 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,
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and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers` house for each of the tribes of
Israel; and they were every one of them head of their fathers` houses among the thousands
of Israel.
15
And 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,
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Thus says the whole congregation of YHWH, What trespass is this that you have committed
against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following YHWH, in that you
have built you an altar, to rebel this day against YHWH?
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 upon the congregation of YHWH,
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that you must turn away this day from following YHWH? and it will be, seeing you rebel
to-day against YHWH, that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of
Israel.
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Nevertheless, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass you over to the
land of the possession of YHWH, wherein YHWH`s tabernacle dwells, and take possession
among us: but rebel not against YHWH, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar
besides the altar of YHWH our God.
20
Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and anger fell
upon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not 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,
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The Mighty One, God, YHWH, the Mighty One, God, YHWH, he knows; and Israel he shall
know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against YHWH (save you us not this
day,)
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that we have built us an altar to turn away from following YHWH; or if to offer thereon
burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon,
let YHWH himself require it;
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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 YHWH, the God of Israel?
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for YHWH has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and
children of Gad; you have no portion in YHWH: so might your children make our children
cease from fearing YHWH.
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Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering,
nor for sacrifice:
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but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us,
that we may do the service of YHWH before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our
sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children
in time to come, You have no portion in YHWH.
28
Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time
to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of YHWH, 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 YHWH, and turn away this day from following
YHWH, to build an altar for burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides
the altar of YHWH our God that is before his tabernacle.
30
And 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
And 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 YHWH is
in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against YHWH: now
have you delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of YHWH.
32
And 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
And 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 wherein the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt.
34
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar [Ed]: For, [said
they], it is a witness between us that YHWH is God.