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约书亚记 22
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
约书亚记 22
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
兩個半支派返回河東
22 那時，約書亞把流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人召了來， 2 對他們說：“耶和華的僕人摩西吩咐你們的一切，你們都遵守了；我吩咐你們的一切，你們也都聽從了。 3 這許多日子以來，你們一直沒有撇棄你們的兄弟，直到今日；耶和華你們的 神吩咐你們的命令，你們也遵守了。 4 現在耶和華你們的 神，照著他應許的，已經使你們兄弟得享平安；現在你們可以返回自己家裡，回到耶和華的僕人摩西在約旦河東賜給你們作產業的地方去。 5 只是你們要謹慎遵守耶和華的僕人摩西吩咐你們的誡命和律法，愛耶和華你們的 神，遵行他的一切道路，謹守他的誡命，緊緊倚靠他，一心一意事奉他。” 6 於是約書亞給他們祝福，打發他們回去，他們就回自己的家裡去了。
7 摩西在巴珊已經把產業分給了瑪拿西半個支派；至於另外半個支派，約書亞在約旦河西他們的兄弟中間，也把產業分給了他們。約書亞打發他們回家去的時候，給他們祝福， 8 對他們說：“你們帶著許多財物，許多牲畜和金、銀、銅、鐵，以及許多衣服，回自己的家去吧；也要把你們從仇敵奪得的戰利品與你們的兄弟同分。” 9 於是流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，從迦南地的示羅起程，離開以色列人，回到他們所得的產業基列地去，就是照著耶和華藉著摩西所吩咐，賜給他們的產業。
兩個半支派在河畔築壇
10 流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，來到迦南地靠近約旦河的地區，就在約旦河邊那裡築了一座祭壇，那壇十分壯觀。 11 以色列人聽見了這事，就說：“看哪，流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人，在迦南地邊境，靠近約旦河的地區，以色列人境內，築了一座壇。” 12 以色列人聽見了這事，以色列全體會眾就聚集在示羅，要上去討伐他們。
其他支派產生疑惑
13 以色列人派以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈，到基列地去見流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人； 14 又派十個首領與非尼哈同去，每一個都代表以色列的支派家族；他們是全體以色列各家族的領袖。 15 他們去到基列地，流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人那裡，對他們說： 16 “耶和華的全體會眾這樣說：‘你們作的是甚麼事？竟對以色列的 神不忠，今日轉離不跟從耶和華，為自己築了一座壇，背叛了耶和華。 17 從前拜毘珥的罪孽，我們還以為是小事嗎？雖然有災疫臨到耶和華的會眾，直到今日我們還沒有洗淨這罪呢。 18 你們今日竟轉離不跟從耶和華嗎？今日你們既然背叛耶和華，明日他必向以色列全體會眾發怒了。 19 如果你們認為所得的地業不潔淨，你們可以過到耶和華的地業，就是耶和華的帳幕居住的地方，在我們中間得地業；只是不可背叛耶和華，也不可背叛我們，在耶和華我們的 神的壇以外，為自己築另一座壇。 20 從前謝拉的曾孫亞干，不是在當毀滅的物上犯了不忠的罪，以致 神的忿怒臨到以色列全體會眾嗎？因他的罪孽而死的，還不只他一人呢！’”
釋疑
21 於是流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西半個支派的人回答以色列各家族的統領說： 22 “大能者 神耶和華！大能者 神耶和華，他是知道的，願以色列也知道；如果我們存心背叛，或是對耶和華不忠，今日就不要放過我們。 23 我們若是為自己築壇，轉離不跟從耶和華，或是把燔祭、素祭和平安祭獻在壇上，願耶和華親自追究我們。 24 我們作這事，實在是有理由的，因為顧慮將來你們的子孫對我們的子孫說：‘你們與耶和華以色列的 神有甚麼關係呢？ 25 流本人和迦得人啊，耶和華定了約旦河作我們和你們中間的疆界；你們與耶和華無分了。’這樣，你們的子孫就使我們的子孫不再敬畏耶和華了。
26 “因此我們說：‘我們築一座壇吧，不是為了獻燔祭，也不是為了獻別的祭， 27 而是為了在你們和我們中間，也在我們的後代中間作證據，使我們也可以在耶和華面前用燔祭、別的祭和平安祭事奉耶和華，免得你們的子孫將來對我們的子孫說：你們與耶和華無分了。’ 28 因此我們說：‘將來有人對我們，或是對我們的後代這樣說，我們就可以回答：你們看我們列祖所築的壇，是耶和華的祭壇的模式，這並不是用來獻燔祭，也不是用來獻別的祭，而是在我們和你們中間作證據。’ 29 我們決沒有背叛耶和華的意思，今日要轉離不跟從耶和華，在耶和華我們的 神的帳幕前的祭壇以外，另築一座壇，為了獻燔祭、素祭和別的祭。”
彼此諒解
30 非尼哈祭司和會眾的領袖，以及與祭司同來的以色列的統領，聽了流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西人說的話，都很滿意。 31 以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈對流本人、迦得人和瑪拿西人說：“今天我們知道耶和華是在我們中間的，因為你們並沒有對耶和華不忠；現在你們已經救了以色列人脫離耶和華的手。” 32 以利亞撒祭司的兒子非尼哈和眾領袖離開了流本人和迦得人，從基列地回到迦南地以色列人那裡，把這事向他們報告。 33 以色列人對這事都很滿意，就稱頌 神，不再說要上去討伐流本人和迦得人，毀滅他們所住的地方了。 34 流本人和迦得人給那壇起名叫證壇，因為他們說：“這壇在我們中間證明耶和華是 神。”
Joshua 22
New International Version
Joshua 22
New International Version
Eastern Tribes Return Home
22 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,(A) 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(B) as he promised, return to your homes(C) in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.(D) 5 But be very careful to keep the commandment(E) and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord(F) your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands,(G) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.(H)”
6 Then Joshua blessed(I) them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. 7 (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan,(J) and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side(K) of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them,(L) 8 saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock,(M) with silver, gold, bronze and iron,(N) and a great quantity of clothing—and divide(O) the plunder(P) from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”
9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh(Q) in Canaan to return to Gilead,(R) their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.
10 When they came to Geliloth(S) near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar(T) 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(U) to go to war against them.
13 So the Israelites sent Phinehas(V) son of Eleazar,(W) 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.(X)
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(Y) with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion(Z) against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor(AA) 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(AB) of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle(AC) stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar(AD) 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](AE) did not wrath(AF) come on the whole community(AG) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”(AH)
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,(AI) the Lord!(AJ) He knows!(AK) 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,(AL) or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.(AM)
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(AN) 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.(AO) 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(AP) between us and you.’
29 “Far be it from us to rebel(AQ) 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.(AR)”
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,(AS) 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.(AT) 33 They were glad to hear the report and praised God.(AU) 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(AV) Between Us—that the Lord is God.
Footnotes
- Joshua 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Joshua 22
International Children’s Bible
Joshua 22
International Children’s Bible
Three Tribes Go Home
22 Then Joshua called a meeting of all the people from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. 2 He said to them, “You have obeyed everything Moses told you to do. He was a servant of the Lord. And also, you have obeyed all my commands. 3 All this time you have supported all the other Israelites. You have been careful to obey all the commands the Lord your God gave you. 4 The Lord your God promised to give the Israelites peace. Now he has kept his promise. Now you may go back to your homes. You may go to the land that Moses, the Lord’s servant, gave you. It is the land on the east side of the Jordan River. 5 But continue to obey the teachings Moses gave you. That law is to love the Lord your God and obey his commands. Continue to follow him and serve him the very best you can.”
6 Then Joshua said good-bye to them, and they left. They went away to their homes. 7 Moses had given the land of Bashan to the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan River to the western half-tribe of Manasseh. And he sent them to their homes. He blessed them. 8 He said, “Go back to your homes and your riches. You have many animals, silver, gold, bronze and iron. And you have many beautiful clothes. Also, you have taken many things from your enemies. You should divide these among yourselves.”
9 So the people from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites. They left Shiloh in Canaan and went back towards Gilead. This was their own land. Moses gave it to them as the Lord had commanded.
10 The people of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh traveled to Geliloth. This was near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. There they built a beautiful altar. 11 But the other Israelites still at Shiloh heard about the altar these three tribes had built. They heard that the altar was at the border of Canaan at Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River on Israel’s side. 12 All the Israelites became very angry at these three tribes. They met together and decided to fight them.
13 So the Israelites sent some men to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. The leader of these men was Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest. 14 They also sent one leader of each of the ten tribes at Shiloh. Each of these men was a leader of his family group of Israelites.
15 So these men went to Gilead. They went to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. The men said to them: 16 “All the Israelites ask you: ‘Why did you turn against the God of Israel? Why did you build an altar for yourselves? You know that this is against God’s law. 17 Remember what happened at Peor? We still suffer today because of that sin. Because of it, God caused many of the Israelites to become very sick. 18 And now are you doing the same thing? Are you turning against the Lord? Will you refuse to follow the Lord?
“‘If you don’t stop what you’re doing, the Lord will be angry with everyone in Israel. 19 Your land may not be a good enough place to worship. If not, come over into our land. The Lord’s Tent is in our land. You may have some of our land and live there. But don’t turn against the Lord by building another altar. We already have the altar of the Lord our God. 20 Remember Achan son of Zerah. He refused to obey the command about what must be completely destroyed. That one man broke God’s law, but all the Israelites were punished. Achan died because of his sin. But many other people also died.’”
21 The people from Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh answered them. They said: 22 “The Lord is our God! Again we say that the Lord is our God! God knows why we did this. We want you to know also. You can judge what we did. If you believe we have done something wrong, you may kill us. 23 If we broke God’s law, we ask the Lord himself to punish us. Do you think we built this altar to offer burnt offerings? And did we build it to use for offerings of grain and fellowship?
24 “No! We did not build it for that reason. We feared that some day your people would not accept us as part of your nation. Then they might say, ‘You cannot worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 25 God gave you land on the other side of the Jordan River. It separates us from you people of Reuben and Gad. You cannot worship the Lord.’ So we feared that your children might make our children stop worshiping the Lord.
26 “So we decided to build this altar. But we did not plan to use it for burning sacrifices and making offerings. 27 It was really to show our people that we worship the same God as you. This altar is proof to you and us. And it will prove to all our children who will come after us that we worship the Lord. We give our whole burnt offerings, grain and fellowship offerings to the Lord. This was to keep your children from saying that our children could not worship the Lord.
28 “In the future your children might say that we do not belong to Israel. Then our children could say, ‘Look! Our fathers who lived before us made an altar. It is exactly like the Lord’s altar. We do not use it for sacrifices. This altar shows that we are part of Israel.’
29 “Truly, we don’t want to be against the Lord. We don’t want to stop following him. We know the only true altar is the one in front of the Holy Tent. It belongs to the Lord our God.”
30 Phinehas the priest and the ten leaders heard these things. They listened to the people of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. And they were pleased. 31 So Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, spoke. He said, “Now we know the Lord is with us. And we know you didn’t turn against him. We’re happy that the Israelites will not be punished by the Lord.”
32 Then Phinehas and the leaders went home. They left the people of Reuben and Gad in Gilead. And they went back to Canaan. There they told the Israelites what had happened. 33 They were also pleased. They were happy and thanked God. And they decided not to fight against the people of Reuben and Gad. They decided not to destroy those lands.
34 And the people of Reuben and Gad gave the altar a name. They called it Proof that We Believe that the Lord Is God.
Joshua 22
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Joshua 22
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
III. Return of the Transjordan Tribes and Joshua’s Farewell
Chapter 22
The Eastern Tribes Dismissed. 1 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2 and said to them:(A) “You have observed all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and have listened to my voice in everything I commanded you. 3 For many years now, even until today, you have not abandoned your allies, but have taken care to observe the commands of the Lord, your God. 4 Now that the Lord, your God, has settled your allies as he promised them, you may return to your tents, to your own land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you, across the Jordan.(B) 5 But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you: love the Lord, your God,(C) follow him in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold fast to him, and serve him with your whole heart and your whole self.” 6 Joshua then blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7 (For, to half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned land in Bashan;(D) and to the other half Joshua had given a portion along with their allies west of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, 8 he said, “Now that you are returning to your own tents with great wealth, with abundant livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and with a very large supply of clothing, divide these spoils of your enemies with your allies there.”(E) 9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and returned to the land of Gilead, their own land, which they had received according to the Lord’s command through Moses.(F)
The Altar Beside the Jordan. 10 When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar there at the Jordan, an impressively large altar. 11 The other Israelites heard the report:(G) “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar” in the region of the Jordan facing the land of Canaan,[a] across from the Israelites. 12 When the Israelites heard this, they assembled at Shiloh, as the entire Israelite community to take military action against them.[b]
Accusation of the Western Tribes. 13 The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,(H) 14 and with him ten leaders, one from each tribe of Israel, each one the head of an ancestral house among the clans of Israel. 15 When these came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they said to them: 16 “Thus says the whole community of the Lord: What act of treachery is this you have committed against the God of Israel? This day you have turned from following the Lord; by building an altar of your own you have rebelled against the Lord this day. 17 Is the iniquity of Peor not enough, by which we made ourselves impure, even to this day, and a plague came upon the community of the Lord?(I) 18 If today you turn away from following the Lord, and rebel against the Lord, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel! 19 If you consider the land you now possess unclean,[c] cross over to the land the Lord possesses, where the tabernacle of the Lord stands, and share that with us. But do not rebel against the Lord, nor involve us in rebellion, by building an altar of your own in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God. 20 When Achan, son of Zerah,(J) acted treacherously by violating the ban, was it not upon the entire community of Israel that wrath fell? Though he was but a single man, he did not perish alone[d] for his guilt!”
Reply of the Eastern Tribes. 21 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the Israelite clans: 22 “The Lord is the God of gods. The Lord, the God of gods,[e] knows and Israel shall know. If now we have acted out of rebellion or treachery against the Lord, our God, do not try to save us this day, 23 and if we have built an altar of our own to turn from following the Lord, or to sacrifice burnt offerings, grain offerings, or communion sacrifices upon it, the Lord himself will exact the penalty. 24 We did it rather out of our anxious concern lest in the future your children should say to our children: ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has placed the Jordan as a boundary between you and us, you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the Lord.’ Thus your children would prevent ours from revering the Lord. 26 So we thought, ‘Let us act for ourselves by building this altar of our own’—not for burnt offerings or sacrifice, 27 (K)but as witness between us and you and our descendants, that we have the right to provide for the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and communion sacrifices. Now in the future your children cannot say to our children, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’ 28 Our thought was that, if in the future they should speak thus to us or to our descendants, we could answer: ‘Look at the copy of the altar of the Lord which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, but to witness[f] between you and us.’ 29 Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or to turn now from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God, which stands before his tabernacle.”
30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community, the heads of the Israelite clans, heard what the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites had to say, they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst. Since you have not rebelled against the Lord by this act of treachery, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the Lord.”
32 Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and reported the matter to them. 33 The report satisfied the Israelites, who blessed God and decided not to take military action against the Reubenites and Gadites nor to ravage the land where they lived.
34 The Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar its name[g] as a witness among them that the Lord is God.
Footnotes
- 22:11 In the region of the Jordan facing the land of Canaan: on the eastern side of the Jordan valley. The river itself formed the boundary between these eastern tribes and the rest of the tribes who lived in what was formerly Canaan—though the term “Canaan” could also be used of both sides of the Jordan valley (cf. v. 10). The Transjordan tribes naturally built their altar in their own territory.
- 22:12 To take military action against them: the western Israelites considered this altar, which seemed to violate the customary unity of the sanctuary (cf. Lv 17:1–9; Dt 12:4–14), as constituting rebellion against the Lord and compromising national unity.
- 22:19 Unclean: not sanctified by the tabernacle.
- 22:20 Achan…did not perish alone: his guilt caused the failure of the first attack on Ai (7:4–23); this fact is adduced as an argument for the solidarity and mutual responsibility of all the Israelites.
- 22:22 The Lord, the God of gods: the Hebrew, which cannot be adequately rendered in English here, adds to the divine name Yhwh (“the Lord”) two synonymous words for “God,” ’el and ’elohim. The repetition of these three sacred words adds force to the protestations of fidelity and innocence.
- 22:28 To witness: far from being destined to form a rival sanctuary, the copy of the altar is intended by the eastern tribes solely as a means of teaching their children to be faithful to the one true sanctuary beyond the Jordan.
- 22:34 The name of this altar was the Hebrew word for “witness,” ‘ed.
Joshua 22
King James Version
Joshua 22
King James Version
22 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.
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