¹⁵ until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”^(A)

⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.^(A)

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(A) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(B) rather, serve one another^(C) humbly in love.

⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,^(A) it is not easily angered,^(B) it keeps no record of wrongs.^(C)

²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

⁴ Now that the Lord your God has given them rest^(A) as he promised, return to your homes^(B) in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.^{(C) 5} But be very careful to keep the commandment^(D) and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord^(E) your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands,^(F) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.^(G)”

⁶ Then Joshua blessed^(H) them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. ⁷ (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan,^(I) and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side^(J) of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them,^{(K) 8} saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock,^(L) with silver, gold, bronze and iron,^(M) and a great quantity of clothing—and divide^(N) the plunder^(O) from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

⁹ So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh^(P) in Canaan to return to Gilead,^(Q) their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves for battle^[a] and go ahead of the Israelites^(A) until we have brought them to their place.^(B) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^{(C) 19} We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(D) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(E)

²⁰ Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^{(F) 21} and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(G)— ²² then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(H) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(I) before the Lord.^(J)

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ^(A) and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart^(B) and be with Christ,^(C) which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.^(A)