10 When they came to Geliloth(A) near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar(B) 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(C) to go to war against them.

13 So the Israelites sent Phinehas(D) son of Eleazar,(E) 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.(F)

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(G) with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion(H) against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor(I) 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(J) of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle(K) stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar(L) 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,[a](M) did not wrath(N) come on the whole community(O) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

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