22
1 Then
Joshua called the
Reubenites, 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 left
your brothers these
many days to
this day, but
have performed the
duty of the
commandment of the
LORD your God.
4 Now
the LORD your
God has given
rest to
your brothers, as
he spoke to
them. Therefore
now return 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
take diligent 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 the one
half-tribe of
Manasseh Moses had
given inheritance in
Bashan; but Joshua
gave to the
other half 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,
with very much
livestock, with
silver, with gold,
with bronze, with
iron, and with
very much clothing.
Divide the plunder
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, which
they owned, according
to the commandment
of the LORD
by Moses.
10 When
they came to the
region near 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 an
altar there by
the Jordan, a
great altar to look
at.
11 The
children of Israel
heard this, “Behold, the children of
Reuben and the
children of Gad
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh have
built an
altar along the border
of the land
of Canaan, in
the region around
the Jordan, on
the side
that belongs 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 With
him were ten
princes, one
prince of
a fathers’ house
for each of
the tribes of
Israel; and they
were each 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 “The
whole congregation
of the LORD
says, ‘What
trespass is this
that you have
committed against
the God of
Israel, to turn
away today
from following the
LORD, in that
you have built
yourselves an
altar, to rebel
today against the
LORD?
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
the LORD,
18 that
you must turn
away today
from following the
LORD? It will
be, since you
rebel today
against the LORD,
that tomorrow he
will be angry
with the whole
congregation of
Israel.
19 However, if
the land of
your possession is
unclean, then pass
over to the land
of the possession
of the LORD,
in which the
LORD’s tabernacle
dwells, and
take possession among
us; but don’t
rebel against the
LORD, nor rebel
against us, in
building an altar
other than the
LORD our God’s
altar.
20 Didn’t
Achan the son
of Zerah commit
a trespass in
the devoted thing,
and wrath fell
on all the
congregation of
Israel? 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, the
LORD, the Mighty
One, God, the
LORD, he knows;
and Israel shall
know: if it
was in rebellion,
or if in
trespass against
the LORD (don’t
save us today),
23 that
we have built
us an altar
to turn away
from following the
LORD; or if
to offer burnt
offering or meal
offering, or if
to offer
sacrifices of
peace offerings,
let the LORD
himself require it.
24 “If
we have not
out of concern
done this, and
for a reason,
saying, ‘In time
to come your
children might
speak to our
children, saying, “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 children of
Reuben and
children of Gad.
You have no
portion in the
LORD.” ’ So your
children might
make our children
cease from fearing
the LORD.
26 “Therefore
we said, ‘Let’s
now prepare to
build ourselves an
altar, not for
burnt offering,
nor for sacrifice;
27 but
it will be
a witness between
us and you,
and between 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 children
may not tell our
children in time
to come, ‘You
have no portion
in the LORD.’
28 “Therefore
we said, ‘It shall
be, when they
tell us or
our generations
this in time
to come, that
we shall say, “Behold
the pattern of
the LORD’s altar,
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 the LORD,
and turn away
today from following
the LORD, to
build an altar
for burnt offering,
for meal offering,
or for sacrifice,
besides the LORD
our God’s altar
that is before
his tabernacle!”
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, to the
children of Gad,
and to the
children of
Manasseh, “Today
we know that
the LORD is
among us, because
you have not
committed this
trespass against
the LORD. Now
you have delivered
the children of
Israel out of
the LORD’s hand.”
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 named
the altar “A
Witness Between Us
that the LORD
is God.”