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Revelation
Chapter
22
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Joshua chapter 22
English Standard Version
1
At that time Joshua summoned 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 the
Lord
commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you.
3
You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the
Lord
your God.
4
And now the
Lord
your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5
Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded you, to love the
Lord
your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling 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 of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them,
8
he said to them, "Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."
9
So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the
Lord
through Moses.
10
And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.
11
And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel."
12
And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
13
Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
14
and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel.
15
And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,
16
"Thus says the whole congregation of the
Lord
, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the
Lord
by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the
Lord
?
17
Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the
Lord
,
18
that you too must turn away this day from following the
Lord
? And if you too rebel against the
Lord
today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
19
But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the
Lord
's land where the
Lord
's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the
Lord
or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’"
21
Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel,
22
"The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the
Lord
, do not spare us today
23
for building an altar to turn away from following the
Lord
. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the
Lord
himself take vengeance.
24
No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the
Lord
, the God of Israel?
25
For the
Lord
has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the
Lord
.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the
Lord
.
26
Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
27
but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the
Lord
in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the
Lord
."’
28
And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, "Behold, the copy of the altar of the
Lord
, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you."’
29
Far be it from us that we should rebel against the
Lord
and turn away this day from following the
Lord
by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the
Lord
our God that stands before his tabernacle!"
30
When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.
31
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the
Lord
is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the
Lord
. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the
Lord
."
32
Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them.
33
And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled.
34
The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the
Lord
is God."
New International Version
1
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh
2
and said to them, "You have done all that Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded.
3
For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the
Lord
your God gave you.
4
Now that the
Lord
your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you: to love the
Lord
your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."
6
Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes.
7
(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them,
8
saying, "Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites."
9
So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the
Lord
through Moses.
10
When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan.
11
And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side,
12
the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13
So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
14
With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.
15
When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them:
16
"The whole assembly of the
Lord
says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the
Lord
and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now?
17
Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the
Lord
!
18
And are you now turning away from the
Lord
? " ‘If you rebel against the
Lord
today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel.
19
If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the
Lord
’s land, where the
Lord
’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the
Lord
or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things, did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’ "
21
Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel:
22
"The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the
Lord
, do not spare us this day.
23
If we have built our own altar to turn away from the
Lord
and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the
Lord
himself call us to account.
24
"No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the
Lord
, the God of Israel?
25
The
Lord
has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the
Lord
.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the
Lord
.
26
"That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’
27
On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the
Lord
at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the
Lord
.’
28
"And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the
Lord
’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
29
"Far be it from us to rebel against the
Lord
and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the
Lord
our God that stands before his tabernacle."
30
When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.
31
And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, "Today we know that the
Lord
is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the
Lord
in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the
Lord
’s hand."
32
Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites.
33
They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.
34
And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the
Lord
is God.
New American Standard Bible
1
Then Joshua summoned 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 the
Lord
commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
3
You have not abandoned your brothers these many days to this day, but have fulfilled the obligation of the commandment of the
Lord
your God.
4
And now the
Lord
your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you beyond the Jordan.
5
Only be very careful to follow the commandment and the Law which Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded you, to love the
Lord
your God and walk in all His ways, and keep His commandments and cling to Him, and 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
a possession
in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave
a possession
among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he also blessed them,
8
and said to them, 'Return to your tents with great riches and with very many livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.'
9
So the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned
home,
leaving the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession in which they had settled, in accordance with the command of the
Lord
through Moses.
10
When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance.
11
But the sons of Israel heard a report: 'Behold, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side
belonging to
the sons of Israel.'
12
And when the sons of Israel heard
about it,
the entire congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go up against them in battle.
13
Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
14
and with him ten leaders, one leader for each father’s household from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one of them
was
the head of his father’s household among the thousands of Israel.
15
They came to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,
16
This is what the whole congregation of the
Lord
says: ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the
Lord
this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the
Lord
this day?
17
Is the wrongdoing of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the
Lord
,
18
that you must turn away this day from following the
Lord
? If you rebel against the
Lord
today, He will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel tomorrow.
19
If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the
Lord
, where the
Lord
’S tabernacle stands, and settle among us. Only do not rebel against the
Lord
, or rebel against us, by building an altar for yourselves besides the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Did Achan the son of Zerah not act unfaithfully in the things designated for destruction, and wrath fall on the entire congregation of Israel? So that man did not perish alone in his guilt.’?'
21
Then the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel.
22
The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
, the Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If
it was
in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the
Lord
, do not save us this day!
23
If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the
Lord
, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the
Lord
Himself demand it.
24
But truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our sons, 'What have you to do with the
Lord
, the God of Israel?
25
For the
Lord
has made the Jordan a border between us and you,
you
sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the
Lord
.' So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the
Lord
.’
26
Therefore we said, ‘Let’s build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;
27
rather, it
shall be
a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the
Lord
before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, 'You have no portion in the
Lord
.'?’
28
Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come about if they say
this
to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, 'See the copy of the altar of the
Lord
which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather, it is a witness between us and you.'?’
29
Far be it from us that we should rebel against the
Lord
and turn away from following the
Lord
this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the
Lord
our God which is before His tabernacle.'
30
So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, that is, the heads of the families of Israel who
were
with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.
31
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Manasseh, 'Today we know that the
Lord
is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the
Lord
; now you have saved the sons of Israel from the hand of the
Lord
.'
32
Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them.
33
The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in battle to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living.
34
And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar
Witness;
'For,'
they said,
'it is a witness between us that the
Lord
is God.'
Christian Standard Bible
1
Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh
2
and told them, "You have done everything Moses the
Lord
’s servant commanded you and have obeyed me in everything I commanded you.
3
You have not deserted your brothers even once this whole time but have carried out the requirement of the command of the
Lord
your God.
4
Now that he has given your brothers rest, just as he promised them, return to your homes in your own land that Moses the
Lord
’s servant gave you across the Jordan.
5
Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the
Lord
’s servant gave you: to love the
Lord
your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul."
6
Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes.
7
Moses had given territory to half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, but Joshua had given territory to the other half, with their brothers, on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them to their homes and blessed them,
8
he said, "Return to your homes with great wealth: a huge number of cattle, and silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a large quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."
9
The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their own land of Gilead, which they took possession of according to the
Lord
’s command through Moses.
10
When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built a large, impressive altar there by the Jordan.
11
Then the Israelites heard it said, "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side."
12
When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13
The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead.
14
They sent ten leaders with him—one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their ancestral families among the clans of Israel.
15
They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and told them,
16
"This is what the
Lord
’s entire community says: ‘What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the
Lord
and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the
Lord
today?
17
Wasn’t the iniquity of Peor, which brought a plague on the
Lord
’s community, enough for us? We have not cleansed ourselves from it even to this day,
18
and now would you turn away from the
Lord
? If you rebel against the
Lord
today, tomorrow he will be angry with the entire community of Israel.
19
But if the land you possess is defiled, cross over to the land the
Lord
possesses where the
Lord
’s tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But don’t rebel against the
Lord
or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Wasn’t Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who perished because of his iniquity.’"
21
The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the Israelite clans,
22
"The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! The Mighty One, God, the
Lord
! He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if it was in rebellion or treachery against the
Lord
23
that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from him. May the
Lord
himself hold us accountable if we intended to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it.
24
We actually did this from a specific concern that in the future your descendants might say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with the
Lord
, the God of Israel?
25
For the
Lord
has made the Jordan a border between us and you descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the
Lord
!’ So your descendants may cause our descendants to stop fearing the
Lord
.
26
"Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice.
27
Instead, it is to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, so that we may carry out the worship of the
Lord
in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no share in the
Lord
!’
28
We thought that if they said this to us or to our generations in the future, we would reply: Look at the replica of the
Lord
’s altar that our fathers made, not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.
29
We would never ever rebel against the
Lord
or turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the
Lord
our God, which is in front of his tabernacle."
30
When the priest Phinehas and the community leaders, the heads of Israel’s clans who were with him, heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.
31
Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we know that the
Lord
is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against him. As a result, you have rescued the Israelites from the
Lord
’s power."
32
Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan and brought back a report to them.
33
The Israelites were pleased with the report, and they blessed God. They spoke no more about going to war against them to ravage the land where the Reubenites and Gadites lived.
34
So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar: It is a witness between us that the
Lord
is God.
New Living Translation
1
Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
2
He told them, 'You have done as Moses, the servant of the
Lord
, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you.
3
During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of the
Lord
your God right up to the present day.
4
And now the
Lord
your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of the
Lord
, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River.
5
But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the
Lord
your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.'
6
So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went home.
7
Moses had given the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The other half of the tribe was given land west of the Jordan.) As Joshua sent them away and blessed them,
8
he said to them, 'Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies — the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.'
9
So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the
Lord
’s command through Moses.
10
But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.
11
The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.
12
So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them.
13
First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
14
In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.
15
When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
16
The whole community of the
Lord
demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the
Lord
and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him?
17
Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the
Lord
.
18
And yet today you are turning away from following the
Lord
. If you rebel against the
Lord
today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.
19
If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the
Lord
’s land, where the Tabernacle of the
Lord
is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the
Lord
or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Didn’t divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for the
Lord
? He was not the only one who died because of his sin.'
21
Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel:
22
The
Lord
, the Mighty One, is God! The
Lord
, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the
Lord
. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day.
23
If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the
Lord
or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the
Lord
himself punish us.
24
The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the
Lord
, the God of Israel?
25
The
Lord
has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the
Lord
.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the
Lord
.
26
So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,
27
but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the
Lord
at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the
Lord
.’
28
If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the
Lord
’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the
Lord
.’
29
Far be it from us to rebel against the
Lord
or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the
Lord
our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose.'
30
When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community — the heads of the clans of Israel — heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied.
31
Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, 'Today we know the
Lord
is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the
Lord
as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the
Lord
.'
32
Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened.
33
And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.
34
The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar 'Witness,' for they said, 'It is a witness between us and them that the
Lord
is our God, too.'
King James Version
1
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2
And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3
Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the
Lord
your God.
4
And now the
Lord
your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you on the other side Jordan.
5
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the
Lord
charged you, to love the
Lord
your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto 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 unto their tents.
7
Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,
8
And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto 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 unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the
Lord
by the hand of Moses.
10
And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are 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 Jordan, a great altar to see to.
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 over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of 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 to war against them.
13
And the children of Israel sent unto 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, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
15
And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
16
Thus saith the whole congregation of the
Lord
, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the
Lord
, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the
Lord
?
17
Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the
Lord
,
18
But that ye must turn away this day from following the
Lord
? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the
Lord
, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
19
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the
Lord
, wherein the
Lord
'S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the
Lord
, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on 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 said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22
The
Lord
God of gods, the
Lord
God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the
Lord
, (save us not this day,)
23
That we have built us an altar to turn from following the
Lord
, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the
Lord
himself require it;
24
And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the
Lord
God of Israel?
25
For the
Lord
hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the
Lord
: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the
Lord
.
26
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
27
But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the
Lord
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, Ye have no part in the
Lord
.
28
Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the
Lord
, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
29
God forbid that we should rebel against the
Lord
, and turn this day from following the
Lord
, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the
Lord
our God that is before his tabernacle.
30
And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.
31
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the
Lord
is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the
Lord
: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the
Lord
.
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, unto 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 did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the
Lord
is God.
New King James Version
1
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh,
2
and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3
You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the
Lord
your God.
4
And now the
Lord
your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents
and
to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the
Lord
gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5
But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the
Lord
commanded you, to love the
Lord
your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast 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 half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the
other
half of it Joshua gave
a possession
among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,
8
and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”
9
So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which
is
in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the
Lord
by the hand of Moses.
10
And when they came to the region of the Jordan which
is
in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar.
11
Now the children of Israel heard
someone
say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.”
12
And when the children of Israel heard
of it,
the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13
Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead,
14
and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and each one
was
the head of the house of his father among the divisions of Israel.
15
Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,
16
“Thus says the whole congregation of the
Lord
: ‘What treachery
is
this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the
Lord
, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the
Lord
?
17
Is
the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the
Lord
,
18
but that you must turn away this day from following the
Lord
? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the
Lord
, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
19
Nevertheless, if the land of your possession
is
unclean,
then
cross over to the land of the possession of the
Lord
, where the
Lord
’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the
Lord
, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the
Lord
our God.
20
Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”
21
Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the divisions of Israel:
22
“The
Lord
God of gods, the
Lord
God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know—if
it is
in rebellion, or if in treachery against the
Lord
, do not save us this day.
23
If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the
Lord
, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the
Lord
Himself require
an account.
24
But in fact we have done it for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the
Lord
God of Israel?
25
For the
Lord
has made the Jordan a border between you and us,
you
children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the
Lord
.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the
Lord
.’
26
Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,
27
but
that
it
may be
a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the
Lord
before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the
Lord
.” ’
28
Therefore we said that it will be, when they say
this
to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the
Lord
which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it
is
a witness between you and us.’
29
Far be it from us that we should rebel against the
Lord
, and turn from following the
Lord
this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the
Lord
our God which
is
before His tabernacle.”
30
Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the divisions of Israel who
were
with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.
31
Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the
Lord
is
among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the
Lord
. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the
Lord
.”
32
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them.
33
So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34
The children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar,
Witness,
“For
it is
a witness between us that the
Lord
is
God.”
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