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)

The Day Is Near

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come^(A) for you to wake up from your slumber,^(B) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.^(C) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness^(D) and put on the armor^(E) of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,^(F) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.^{(G) 14} Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,^(H) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.^[a](I)