Josué 22
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Regreso de las tribus del otro lado del Jordán
22 Entonces Josué llamó a los rubenitas, a los gaditas y a la media tribu de Manasés, 2 y les dijo: «Ustedes han guardado todo lo que Moisés, siervo del Señor, les mandó, y han escuchado mi voz en todo lo que les mandé(A). 3 Hasta el día de hoy no han abandonado a sus hermanos durante este largo tiempo[a], sino que ustedes han cuidado de guardar el mandamiento del Señor su Dios. 4 Y ahora el Señor su Dios ha dado descanso a sus hermanos, como Él les había dicho. Vuelvan, pues, y vayan a sus tiendas, a la tierra de su posesión que Moisés, siervo del Señor, les dio al otro lado del Jordán(B). 5 Solamente guarden cuidadosamente el mandamiento y la ley que Moisés, siervo del Señor, les mandó, de amar al Señor su Dios, andar en todos Sus caminos, guardar Sus mandamientos(C) y de allegarse[b] a Él y servirle con todo su corazón y con toda su alma(D)». 6 Josué los bendijo(E) y los despidió, y ellos se fueron a sus tiendas.
7 Moisés había dado a la media tribu de Manasés una posesión en Basán(F), pero a la otra media tribu Josué dio una posesión entre sus hermanos hacia el occidente, al otro lado del Jordán(G). Y cuando Josué los mandó a sus tiendas, los bendijo, 8 y les dijo: «Vuelvan a sus tiendas con grandes riquezas, con mucho ganado, con plata, oro, bronce, hierro y con muchos vestidos. Repartan con sus hermanos el botín de sus enemigos(H)».
9 Entonces los rubenitas y los gaditas y la media tribu de Manasés, volvieron y se separaron de los israelitas en Silo, que está en la tierra de Canaán, para ir a la tierra de Galaad, a la tierra de su posesión(I) la cual ellos habían poseído, conforme al mandato[c] del Señor por medio[d] de Moisés.
El altar junto al Jordán
10 Cuando llegaron a la región del Jordán que está en la tierra de Canaán, los rubenitas, los gaditas y la media tribu de Manasés, edificaron allí un altar junto al Jordán, un altar de aspecto grande.
11 Y los israelitas oyeron decir: «Los rubenitas, los gaditas y la media tribu de Manasés han edificado un altar(J) en el límite[e] de la tierra de Canaán, en la región del Jordán, en el lado que pertenece a los israelitas». 12 Cuando los israelitas oyeron esto, toda la congregación de los israelitas se reunió en Silo(K) para subir a pelear contra ellos.
13 Entonces los israelitas enviaron a los hijos de Rubén, a los hijos de Gad y a la media tribu de Manasés, en la tierra de Galaad, a Finees, hijo del sacerdote Eleazar(L), 14 y con él a diez jefes, un jefe por cada casa paterna de cada tribu de Israel. Cada uno de ellos era cabeza de la casa de sus padres(M) entre los millares[f] de Israel.
15 Y vinieron a los hijos de Rubén, a los hijos de Gad y a la media tribu de Manasés, a la tierra de Galaad, y les dijeron: 16 «Así dice toda la congregación del Señor: “¿Qué infidelidad es esta que ustedes han cometido contra el Dios de Israel, apartándose hoy de seguir al Señor, edificándose un altar(N), y rebelándose hoy contra el Señor?
17 ”¿No nos es suficiente[g] la iniquidad de Peor, de la cual no nos hemos limpiado hasta hoy, a pesar de que vino una plaga sobre la congregación del Señor(O), 18 para que también ustedes se aparten hoy de seguir al Señor? Y sucederá que si hoy se rebelan contra el Señor, mañana Él se enojará con toda la congregación de Israel(P).
19 ”Pero si la tierra de la posesión de ustedes es inmunda, entonces pasen[h] a la tierra de la posesión del Señor, donde está[i] el tabernáculo del Señor, y tomen posesión entre nosotros. Pero no se rebelen contra el Señor, ni se rebelen contra nosotros edificándose un altar aparte del altar del Señor nuestro Dios(Q). 20 ¿No fue infiel Acán, hijo de Zera, en cuanto al anatema, y vino la ira sobre toda la congregación de Israel? Y aquel hombre no pereció solo en su iniquidad(R)”».
21 Entonces los hijos de Rubén, los hijos de Gad y la media tribu de Manasés respondieron a las cabezas de las familias[j] de Israel: 22 «¡El Poderoso Dios[k], el Señor, el Poderoso Dios[l], el Señor(S)! Él lo sabe; que Israel mismo lo sepa(T). Si fue rebelión, o una infidelidad contra el Señor, que no nos salve[m] hoy. 23 Si nos hemos edificado un altar para apartarnos de seguir al Señor, o para ofrecer holocausto(U) u ofrenda de cereal sobre él, o para ofrecer en él sacrificios de ofrendas de paz, que el Señor mismo nos lo demande.
24 »En verdad, hemos hecho esto más bien[n] por temor, diciendo: “El día de mañana los hijos de ustedes pudieran decir a nuestros hijos[o]: ‘¿Qué tienen que ver ustedes con el Señor, Dios de Israel? 25 Porque el Señor ha puesto el Jordán por límite entre nosotros y ustedes, hijos de Rubén e hijos de Gad. Ustedes no tienen parte con el Señor’. Así sus hijos podrían hacer que nuestros hijos dejaran de temer al Señor”.
26 »Por tanto, dijimos: “Construyamos[p] ahora un altar, no para holocaustos ni para sacrificios, 27 sino para que sea testigo entre nosotros y ustedes(V), y entre nuestras generaciones después de nosotros, que hemos de cumplir el servicio del Señor delante de Él con nuestros holocaustos, con nuestros sacrificios y con nuestras ofrendas de paz(W), para que en el día de mañana los hijos de ustedes no digan a nuestros hijos: ‘No tienen porción en el Señor’”.
28 »Nosotros, pues, dijimos: “Sucederá el día de mañana, que si nos dicen esto a nosotros o a nuestras generaciones, entonces diremos: ‘Vean la réplica del altar del Señor que nuestros padres edificaron, no para holocaustos ni para sacrificios, sino más bien como testigo entre nosotros y ustedes’”. 29 Lejos esté de nosotros que nos rebelemos contra el Señor y nos apartemos de seguir hoy al Señor, construyendo un altar para holocaustos, para ofrenda de cereal o para sacrificios, aparte del altar del Señor nuestro Dios que está frente a Su tabernáculo[q](X)».
30 Cuando el sacerdote Finees y los principales de la congregación, es decir, las cabezas de las familias[r] de Israel que estaban con él, oyeron las palabras que dijeron los rubenitas, los gaditas y la media tribu de Manasés, les pareció bien. 31 Y Finees, hijo del sacerdote Eleazar, dijo a los rubenitas, a los gaditas y a la media tribu de Manasés: «Hoy sabemos que el Señor está en medio de nosotros(Y), porque no han cometido esta infidelidad contra el Señor. Ahora han librado a los israelitas de la mano del Señor(Z)».
32 Entonces Finees, hijo del sacerdote Eleazar, y los jefes, dejaron a los rubenitas y a los gaditas, y regresaron de la tierra de Galaad a la tierra de Canaán, a los israelitas, y les dieron respuesta[s]. 33 La respuesta[t] agradó a los israelitas. Estos bendijeron a Dios(AA), y no hablaron más de subir a pelear contra ellos para destruir la tierra en que habitaban los rubenitas y los gaditas. 34 Y los rubenitas y los gaditas llamaron al altar Testigo; pues dijeron: «Es testigo entre nosotros de que el Señor es Dios(AB)».
Footnotes
- 22:3 Lit. estos muchos días.
- 22:5 Lit. adherirse.
- 22:9 Lit. la boca.
- 22:9 Lit. mano.
- 22:11 Lit. frente.
- 22:14 O las familias.
- 22:17 Lit. pequeña.
- 22:19 Lit. pasen por ustedes mismos.
- 22:19 Lit. mora.
- 22:21 Lit. los millares.
- 22:22 O Dios de dioses.
- 22:22 O Dios de dioses.
- 22:22 Así en algunas versiones antiguas; en heb. no nos salves.
- 22:24 Lit. por un motivo.
- 22:24 Lit. hijos, diciendo.
- 22:26 Lit. Preparémonos para construirnos.
- 22:29 O Su morada.
- 22:30 Lit. los millares.
- 22:32 Lit. palabra.
- 22:33 Lit. palabra.
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.”
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.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
