aThen Joshua
summoned
the Reubenites
and the Gadites
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
,
and said to them, "You have kept
all
that Moses
the servant
of the LORD
commanded
you, aand have listened
to my voice
in all
that I commanded
you.
"You have not forsaken your brothers
these
many
days
to this
day
, but have kept
the charge
of the commandment
of the LORD
your God
.
"And now athe 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
.
"Only be very
careful
to observe
the commandment
and the law
which
Moses
the servant
of the LORD
commanded
you, to alove
the LORD
your God
and walk
in all
His ways
and keep
His commandments
and hold
fast
to Him and serve
Him bwith all
your heart
and with all
your soul
."
So Joshua ablessed
them and sent
them away
, and they went
to their tents
.
Now ato the one half-tribe of Manasseh
Moses
had given
a possession in Bashan
, but bto the other half
Joshua
gave
a possession among
their brothers
westward
beyond
the Jordan
. So when
Joshua
sent
them away
to their tents
, he blessed
them,
and said to 1them, "Return
to your tents
with great
riches
and with very
much
livestock
, with silver
, gold
, bronze
, iron
, and with very
many
clothes
; adivide
the spoil
of your enemies
with your brothers
."
The sons of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
returned
home and departed
from the sons
of Israel
at Shiloh
which
is in the land
of Canaan
, to go
to the aland
of Gilead
, to the land
of their possession
which
they had possessed
, according
to the 1command
of the LORD
2through
Moses
.
When they came to the region
of the Jordan
which
is in the land
of Canaan
, the sons
of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
built
an altar
there
by the Jordan
, a large
altar
in appearance
.
And the sons of Israel
heard
it 1said
, "Behold
, the sons
of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
have abuilt
an altar
at the 2frontier
of the land
of Canaan
, in the region
of the Jordan
, on the side
belonging to the sons
of Israel
."
When the sons of Israel
heard
of it, the whole
congregation
of the sons
of Israel
gathered
themselves at aShiloh
to go
up against
them in war
.
Then the sons of Israel
sent
to the sons
of Reuben
and to the sons
of Gad
and to the half-tribe
of Manasseh
, into the land
of Gilead
, aPhinehas
the son
of Eleazar
the priest
,
and with him ten chiefs
, one
chief
for each father's
household
from each
of the tribes
of Israel
; and aeach
one
of them was the head
of his father's
household
among the 1thousands
of Israel
.
They came to the sons
of Reuben
and to the sons
of Gad
and to the half-tribe
of Manasseh
, to the land
of Gilead
, and they spoke
with them saying
,
"Thus says
the whole
congregation
of the LORD
, `What
is this
unfaithful
act
which
you have committed
against the God
of Israel
, turning
away
from following
the LORD
this day
, by abuilding
yourselves an altar
, to rebel
against the LORD
this day
?
`Is not athe iniquity of Peor
1enough
for us, from which
we have not cleansed
ourselves to this
day
, although a plague
came
on the congregation
of the LORD
,
that you must turn away
this day
from following
the LORD
? If you rebel
against the LORD
today
, aHe will be angry
with the whole
congregation
of Israel
tomorrow
.
`If, however
, the land
of your possession
is unclean
, then 1cross
into the land
of the possession
of the LORD
, where
the LORD'S
tabernacle
2stands
, and take
possession
among
us. Only do not rebel
against the LORD
, or rebel
against
us by abuilding
an altar
for yourselves, besides
the altar
of the LORD
our God
.
`Did not aAchan the son
of Zerah
act
unfaithfully
in the things
under
the ban
, and wrath
fall
on all
the congregation
of Israel
? And that man
did not perish
alone
in his iniquity
.' "
Then the sons of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
answered
and spoke
to the heads
of the 1families
of Israel
.
"The aMighty One
, God
, the LORD
, the Mighty
One
, God
, the LORD
! bHe 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
!
"If we have built us an altar
to turn
away
from following
the LORD
, or if
to aoffer
a burnt
offering
or grain offering
on it, or if
to offer
sacrifices
of peace
offerings
on it, may the LORD
Himself
require
it.
"But truly we have done
this
out of concern
, 1for a reason
, saying
, `In time
to come
your sons
may say
to our 2sons
, "What
have you to do with the LORD
, the God
of Israel
?
"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
.'
"Therefore we said, `Let us 1build
an altar
, not for burnt
offering
or for sacrifice
;
rather it shall be aa witness
between
us and you and between
our generations
after
us, that we are to bperform
the service
of the LORD
before
Him with our burnt
offerings
, and with 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
."'
"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."'
"Far be it from us that we should rebel
against the LORD
and turn
away
from following
the LORD
this day
, by abuilding
an altar
for burnt
offering
, for grain offering
or for sacrifice
, besides
the altar
of the LORD
our God
which
is before
His 1tabernacle
."
So when Phinehas the priest
and the leaders
of the congregation
, even the heads
of the 1families
of Israel
who
were with him, heard
the words
which
the sons
of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
and the sons
of Manasseh
spoke
, it pleased
them.
And Phinehas the son
of Eleazar
the priest
said
to the sons
of Reuben
and to the sons
of Gad
and to the sons
of Manasseh
, "Today
we know
that the aLORD
is in our midst
, because
you have not committed
this
unfaithful
act
against the LORD
; now
you have delivered
the sons
of Israel
from the hand
of the LORD
."
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.
The word pleased
the sons
of Israel
, and the sons
of Israel
ablessed
God
; and they did not speak
of going
up against
them in war
to destroy
the land
in which
the sons
of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
were living
.
The sons of Reuben
and the sons
of Gad
acalled
the altar
Witness; "For," they said, "it is a witness
between
us that the LORD
is God
."