Joshua 22
1599 Geneva Bible
22 1 Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh are sent again to their possessions. 10 They build an altar for a memorial. 15 The Israelites reprove them. 21 Their answer for defense of the same.
1 Then [a]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 [b]commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3 You have not forsaken your brethren this long season unto this day, but have diligently kept the commandment of the Lord your God.
4 And now the Lord hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord hath (A)given you beyond Jordan.
5 But take diligent heed, to do the commandment and Law, which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you: that is, (B)that ye [c]love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul.
6 So Joshua [d]blessed them, and sent them away, and they went unto their tents.
7 ¶ Now unto one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan: and unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan Westward: therefore when Joshua sent them away unto their tents, and blessed them,
8 Thus he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with a great multitude of cattle, with silver and with gold, with brass and with iron, and with great abundance of raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your [e]brethren.
9 ¶ So the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel from Shiloh (which is in the land of Canaan) to go unto the country of Gilead to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
10 ¶ And when they came unto the [f]borders of Jordan (which are in the land of Canaan) then the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, built [g]there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see too.
11 ¶ When 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 in the forefront of the land of Canaan, upon the borders of Jordan at the passage of the children of Israel:
12 When the children of Israel heard it, then the whole Congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together at Shiloh, to go up [h]to war against them.
13 Then 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 every chief house a prince, according to all the tribes of Israel: for every one was chief of their father’s household among the [i]thousands of Israel.
15 ¶ So they went unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and spake with them, saying,
16 Thus saith [j]the whole Congregation of the Lord, What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from the Lord, in that ye have built you an altar for to rebel this day against the Lord?
17 Have we too little for the wickedness (C)of Peor, whereof we are not [k]cleansed unto this day, though a plague came upon the Congregation of the Lord?
18 Ye also are turned away this day from the Lord: and seeing ye rebel today against the Lord, even tomorrow he will be wroth with all the Congregation of Israel.
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be [l]unclean, come ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord’s Tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but [m]rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel not against us in building you an altar, beside the altar of the Lord our God.
20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass grievously in the execrable thing, and wrath fell on (D)all the Congregation of Israel? and this man alone [n]perished not in his wickedness.
21 ¶ Then the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel,
22 The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel himself shall know: if by rebellion, or by transgression against the Lord we have done it, save thou us not this day.
23 If we have built us an altar to return away from the Lord, either to offer thereon burnt offering, or meat offering, or to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord [o]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 say unto our children, 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 of Gad: therefore ye have no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children [p]cease from fearing the Lord.
26 Therefore we said, We will now go about to make us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
27 But it shall be a (E)witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, to execute the service of the Lord before him, in our burnt offerings, and in our sacrifices, and in our peace offerings, and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord.
28 Therefore said we, If so be that they should so say to us, or to our [q]generations in time to come, then will we answer, Behold the fashion of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but it is a witness between us and you.
29 God forbid, that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day away from the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offering, or for meat offering, or for sacrifice, save 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 over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, and children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spake, [r]they were well content.
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 [s]among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the Lord: now ye have [t]delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.
32 ¶ Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the Priest with 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 answer.
33 And the saying pleased the children of Israel: and the children of Israel [u]blessed God, and [v]minded not to go against them in battle for to destroy the land, wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34 Then the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad called the altar [w]Ed: for it shall be a witness between us, that the Lord is God.
Footnotes
- Joshua 22:1 After that the Israelites enjoyed the land of Canaan.
- Joshua 22:2 Which was to go armed before their brethren, Num. 32:29.
- Joshua 22:5 He showeth wherein consisteth the fulfilling of the Law.
- Joshua 22:6 He commanded them to God, and prayed for them.
- Joshua 22:8 Which remained at home and went not to the war, Num. 31:27; 1 Sam. 30:24.
- Joshua 22:10 Hebrew, Geliloth, which country also was called Canaan, because the Amorites dwelling there were called Canaanites.
- Joshua 22:10 That is, beyond Jordan: for sometimes the whole country on both sides of Jordan is meant by Canaan.
- Joshua 22:12 Such now was their zeal, that they would rather lose their lives, than suffer the true religion to be changed or corrupted.
- Joshua 22:14 Or, multitude.
- Joshua 22:16 Not only of the princes, but also of the common people.
- Joshua 22:17 Meaning, God is not fully pacified, forasmuch as no punishment can be sufficient for such wickedness and idolatry.
- Joshua 22:19 In your judgment.
- Joshua 22:19 To use any other service than God hath appointed, is to rebel against God, 1 Sam. 15:23.
- Joshua 22:20 Signifying, that if many suffered for one man’s fault, for the fault of many, all should suffer.
- Joshua 22:23 Let him punish us.
- Joshua 22:25 Or, to turn back from the true God.
- Joshua 22:28 They signify a wonderful care that they bare toward their posterity, that they might live in the true service of God.
- Joshua 22:30 Hebrew, it was good in their eyes.
- Joshua 22:31 By preserving and governing us.
- Joshua 22:31 Whom if ye had offended; he would have punished with you.
- Joshua 22:33 Or, praised.
- Joshua 22:33 Hebrew, said.
- Joshua 22:34 Or, witness, as verse 27.
Joshua 22
English Standard Version
The Eastern Tribes Return Home
22 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept (A)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you (B)and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 (C)And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, (D)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 (E)Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (F)to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua (G)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, (H)but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. (I)Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go (J)to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.
The Eastern Tribes' Altar of Witness
10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel (K)heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, (L)the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, (M)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, (N)every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day (O)in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of (P)the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if (Q)you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow (R)he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land (S)where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. (T)Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 (U)Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and (V)wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’”
21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, (W)God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! (X)He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself (Y)take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that (Z)in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be (AA)a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we (AB)do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be (AC)a witness between us and you.”’ 29 Far be it from us that we should (AD)rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord (AE)by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”
30 When (AF)Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, (AG)it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that (AH)the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”
32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad (AI)in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report (AJ)was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel (AK)blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, (AL)“it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”
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